I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5659 
To reduce Federal, State, and local costs of providing high-quality drinking 
water to millions of Americans residing in rural communities by facili-
tating greater use of cost-effective well water systems, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 
Mr. STUTZMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce Federal, State, and local costs of providing high- 
quality drinking water to millions of Americans residing 
in rural communities by facilitating greater use of cost- 
effective well 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 ‘‘Water Supply Cost 
Savings Act’’ or the ‘‘Savings Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the United States is facing a drinking water 
infrastructure funding crisis; the Environmental 
Protection Agency (the ‘‘EPA’’) projects a $384 bil-
lion shortfall in funding over the next 20 years; and 
this funding challenge is particularly acute in rural 
America; 
(2) there are 52,000 community water systems 
in the United States, of which 41,801 are small 
community water systems; 
(3) EPA’s most recent Drinking Water Needs 
Survey placed the shortfall in drinking water infra-
structure funding for small communities (3,300 or 
fewer persons) at $64.5 billion; 
(4) small communities often cannot finance the 
construction and maintenance of drinking water sys-
tems because the cost per resident for this invest-
ment would be prohibitively expensive; 
(5) drought conditions have placed significant 
strains on existing surface water supplies, and many 
communities across the country are now considering 
the use of groundwater and community well systems 
to provide drinking water; and 
(6) 42 million Americans receive their drinking 
water from individual wells, and millions more rely 
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upon community well systems for their drinking 
water. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) providing rural communities with the knowl-
edge and resources necessary to fully utilize wells 
and community well systems can save local, State, 
and Federal governments and taxpayers billions of 
dollars over the next two decades; 
(2) wells and community well systems can pro-
vide safe and affordable drinking water to millions 
of Americans; and 
(3) the Federal Government lacks the resources 
to finance the drinking water infrastructure needs of 
millions of citizens residing in rural America, and 
wells and community well systems can help signifi-
cantly to close this funding gap. 
SEC. 4. DRINKING WATER TECHNOLOGY CLEARINGHOUSE. 
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture shall— 
(1) update existing programs of the Agency and 
the Department of Agriculture designed to provide 
drinking water technical assistance to include infor-
mation on cost-effective, innovative, and alternative 
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drinking water delivery systems, including systems 
that are supported by wells; and 
(2) disseminate information on the cost effec-
tiveness of wells and well systems to communities 
and not-for-profit organizations seeking Federal 
funding for drinking water systems serving 3,300 or 
fewer persons. 
SEC. 5. WATER SYSTEM ASSESSMENT. 
In any application for a Federal grant or loan for 
a drinking water system serving 3,300 or fewer persons, 
a unit of local government or not-for-profit organization 
shall certify that it has considered, as an alternative drink-
ing water supply, drinking water delivery systems sourced 
by publicly owned individual wells, shared wells, and com-
munity wells. 
SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture shall re-
port to Congress on— 
(1) the utilization of innovative and alternative 
drinking water systems described in this Act; 
(2) the range of cost savings for communities 
utilizing innovative and alternative drinking water 
systems described in this Act; and 
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(3) the utilization of drinking water technical 
assistance programs operated by the Agency and the 
Department. 
Æ 
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