I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6622 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish a grant program for 
improving operational sustainability by small public water systems, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 24, 2020 
Mr. MCKINLEY (for himself and Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish a grant 
program for improving operational sustainability by small 
public water systems, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assuring Quality 
Water Infrastructure Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSISTANCE FOR 
SMALL PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS. 
Part E of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 
300j et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 1459E. OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSISTANCE 
FOR SMALL PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means— 
‘‘(A) a unit of local government; 
‘‘(B) a public corporation established by a 
unit of local government to provide water serv-
ice; or 
‘‘(C) a nonprofit corporation, public trust, 
or cooperative association that owns or operates 
a public water system. 
‘‘(2) 
OPERATIONAL
SUSTAINABILITY.—The 
term ‘operational sustainability’ means concepts, 
tools, and techniques that are intended to improve 
the operation of a small system through the identi-
fication and prevention of potable water loss due to 
leaks, breaks, and other metering or infrastructure 
failures. 
‘‘(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means 
the grant program established under subsection (b). 
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‘‘(4) SMALL SYSTEM.—The term ‘small system’ 
means a public water system that— 
‘‘(A) serves fewer than 10,000 people; and 
‘‘(B) is owned or operated by— 
‘‘(i) a unit of local government; 
‘‘(ii) a public corporation; 
‘‘(iii) a nonprofit corporation; 
‘‘(iv) a public trust; or 
‘‘(v) a cooperative association. 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es-
tablish a program to award grants to eligible entities for 
the purpose of improving operational sustainability for one 
or more small systems. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under the program, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Administrator an application at such time, in such man-
ner, and containing such information as the Administrator 
may require, including— 
‘‘(1) a proposal of the project to be carried out 
using grant funds under the program; 
‘‘(2) documentation prepared by the eligible en-
tity describing the deficiencies in operational sus-
tainability of one or more small systems that are to 
be addressed through the proposed project; 
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‘‘(3) a description of how the proposed project 
will improve operational sustainability for one or 
more small systems; 
‘‘(4) a description of how the improvements de-
scribed in paragraph (3) will be maintained beyond 
the life of the proposed project, including a plan to 
maintain and update any asset data collected as a 
result of the proposed project; 
‘‘(5) a copy of a written agreement between the 
eligible entity and the State within which the eligible 
entity is located in which the eligible entity agrees 
to provide a copy of any data collected under the 
proposed project to the State agency administering 
the State drinking water treatment revolving loan 
fund of the State established under section 1452, or 
a designee; and 
‘‘(6) any additional information the Adminis-
trator may require. 
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under the program shall use the grant funds to 
carry out projects that improve operational sustainability 
for one or more small systems through— 
‘‘(1) the development of a detailed asset inven-
tory, which may include drinking water sources, 
storage, valves, treatment systems, distribution lines, 
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hydrants, pumps, controls, and other essential infra-
structure; 
‘‘(2) the development of an infrastructure asset 
map, including a map that uses technology such 
as— 
‘‘(A) geographic information system soft-
ware; and 
‘‘(B) global positioning system software; 
‘‘(3) the deployment of leak detection tech-
nology; 
‘‘(4) the deployment of metering technology; 
‘‘(5) training in asset management concepts, 
tools, and techniques of appropriate staff employed 
by— 
‘‘(A) the eligible entity; or 
‘‘(B) the small systems for which the grant 
was received; and 
‘‘(6) the development or deployment of other 
concepts, tools, or techniques that the Administrator 
may determine to be appropriate under the program. 
‘‘(e) COST SHARE.—The Federal share of a project 
carried out using a grant under the program shall not ex-
ceed 75 percent of the total cost of the project. 
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