I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4033 
To provide supplemental appropriations for safe and secure water, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2019 
Mr. KILDEE (for himself and Mrs. LAWRENCE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committees on the Budget, Ways and Means, Natural Re-
sources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To provide supplemental appropriations for safe and secure 
water, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Water Justice Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
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TITLE I—DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE EMERGENCY 
Sec. 101. Findings. 
Sec. 102. Definitions. 
Sec. 103. Supplemental appropriations for the drinking water infrastructure 
emergency. 
TITLE II—WATER ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY 
Sec. 201. Findings. 
Sec. 202. Drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services assistance 
needs-based program. 
Sec. 203. Establishment of Federal grant program for drinking water treat-
ment works operation and maintenance. 
TITLE III—INVESTMENTS IN NATIONWIDE WATER 
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY 
Sec. 301. Findings. 
Sec. 302. Reclamation infrastructure finance and innovation pilot program. 
Sec. 303. Water recycling and reuse projects. 
Sec. 304. Mandatory spending for water infrastructure programs. 
Sec. 305. Expanding and increasing funding for rural individual and connected 
water systems programs. 
Sec. 306. Increased funding for water management improvement. 
Sec. 307. Water Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. 
Sec. 308. Rural water supply program reauthorization. 
Sec. 309. Combating PFAS. 
Sec. 310. Multi-benefit projects to improve watershed health. 
TITLE I—DRINKING WATER 
INFRASTRUCTURE EMERGENCY 
SEC. 101. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1)(A) everyone has the right to clean and safe 
drinking water and appropriate sanitation services; 
and 
(B) the Federal Government has the responsi-
bility to ensure that the rights described in subpara-
graph (A) are realized; 
(2) the American Society of Civil Engineers as-
signed a ‘‘D’’ grade to the drinking water infrastruc-
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ture of the United States and the American Water 
Works 
Association 
estimated 
that 
$1,000,000,000,000 is necessary to maintain and ex-
pand service during the 25-year period beginning on 
the date of enactment of this Act; 
(3) deterioration and aging of the water infra-
structure of the United States has resulted in mil-
lions of people of the United States being exposed to 
unsafe drinking water, including lead contamination; 
(4) exposure to lead can cause serious health 
problems, especially to young children and pregnant 
women, including damage to the brain and nervous 
system, kidney problems, and high blood pressure; 
(5) the Government Accountability Office esti-
mates that 43 percent of school districts, serving 
35,000,000 students, tested for lead in school drink-
ing water in 2016 or 2017; 
(6) of the schools that tested for lead as de-
scribed in paragraph (5), an estimated 37 percent 
found levels of lead above the threshold of the school 
district for taking remedial action; 
(7) according to the American Water Works As-
sociation, approximately 30 percent of surveyed com-
munity water systems in the United States reported 
having some lead-containing service lines; 
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(8) the continuing emergency of drinking water 
contamination in communities like Flint, Michigan, 
demonstrates the severity of this crisis across the 
United States; 
(9) many rural areas across the United States 
also face severe drinking water challenges, as the 
community water systems serving small populations 
in the United States often lack sufficient financial 
and technical resources; 
(10) boil water advisories are a daily occurrence 
in the United States, and those advisories dispropor-
tionately impact small drinking water systems, with 
some advisories in rural areas lasting for years; 
(11) it is estimated that 13,000,000 households 
in the United States rely on well water, with no Fed-
eral regulation or testing of contaminants; 
(12) past appropriations for the Environmental 
Protection Agency grant programs that address 
school drinking water and drinking water contami-
nation in high-risk communities are not sufficient to 
address the tremendous need throughout the United 
States; 
(13) investments in infrastructure create jobs 
while 
fulfilling 
critical 
needs 
in 
communities 
throughout the United States; 
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(14) it is estimated that nearly 17,200,000 
workers, about 12 percent of the United States 
workforce, were employed in infrastructure jobs in 
2018; 
(15) infrastructure occupations often provide 
more competitive and equitable wages in comparison 
to all jobs nationally, consistently paying up to 30 
percent more to workers at lower ends of the income 
scale; 
(16) the sixth national assessment by the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency of drinking water in-
frastructure needs shows a total 20-year capital im-
provement need of $472,600,000,000 for public 
water systems; 
(17) emergency supplemental appropriations for 
the Environmental Protection Agency, provided in 
addition to other appropriations and not subject to 
sequestration, will improve drinking water in schools 
and high-risk communities and create jobs through-
out the United States without reducing funding for 
other domestic priorities; 
(18) appropriating $50,000,000,000 in fiscal 
year 2020 for the Environmental Protection Agency, 
and allowing the funds to remain available for 5 
years, will enable States to begin to immediately ex-
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pand investments in addressing drinking water 
needs in schools and in high-risk communities 
throughout the United States; 
(19) a $50,000,000,000 investment in drinking 
water infrastructure could create 1,250,000 jobs; 
(20) an emergency supplemental appropriation 
of $50,000,000,000 for the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, to be made available in fiscal year 
2020, and to remain available for 5 years, will allow 
States to begin immediately to distribute funds to el-
igible schools and high-risk communities to develop 
and implement plans to improve drinking water in-
frastructure, through accelerated and expanded re-
placement of lead-based service lines and other crit-
ical infrastructure improvements, ensuring an effi-
cient use of funds and timely job creation; 
(21) emergency supplemental appropriations for 
remediating the drinking water infrastructure emer-
gency in the United States can be leveraged— 
(A) to create high-quality union jobs; and 
(B) to expand minority-owned businesses 
to support the next generation of water infra-
structure contractors; and 
(22) an emergency supplemental appropriation 
of $50,000,000,000 for the Environmental Protec-
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tion Agency would allow numerous communities to 
address the water infrastructure needs of those com-
munities and begin to combat the crisis in the 
United States. 
SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘disadvantaged community’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 1452(d)(3) of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(d)(3)). 
(3) HIGH-RISK COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘high- 
risk community’’ means— 
(A) a disadvantaged community in which 
drinking water has tested for levels of contami-
nants, such as lead, copper, mercury, organic 
chemicals, and other substances, above the con-
taminant levels allowed under the applicable na-
tional primary drinking water regulations (as 
defined in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f)); or 
(B) in States in which State drinking 
water contaminant requirements are stricter 
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than the applicable national primary drinking 
water regulations (as defined in section 1401 of 
the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 
300f)), a disadvantaged community in which 
drinking water has tested for levels of contami-
nants at levels higher than allowed under the 
applicable State contaminant requirement. 
SEC. 103. SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE EMER-
GENCY. 
Out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise ap-
propriated, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, 
$50,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 
2024, is appropriated to the Administrator for an addi-
tional amount for lead reduction investments through the 
Environmental Protection Agency (including programs 
such as the State response to contaminants grant program 
under section 1459A(j) of the Safe Drinking Water Act 
(42 U.S.C. 300j–19a(j)), the voluntary school and child 
care program lead testing grant program under section 
1464(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j– 
24(d)), and the drinking water fountain replacement for 
schools program under section 1465 of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–25)), or additional grant pro-
grams (either in existence or to be developed) for projects 
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that protect high-risk communities from lead contamina-
tion in drinking water; provide for technical assistance or 
mitigation efforts; allow for replacement of lead-tainted in-
frastructure; provide funds for the purchase of filters cer-
tified by NSF International and the Water Quality Asso-
ciation for the removal of contaminants of concern in pub-
lic water systems; or address lead testing in school and 
child care programs for which filtration of water systems 
in those school and child care programs has already been 
performed: Provided, That the amount under this heading 
is designated by the Congress as an emergency require-
ment pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 
U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)), except that such amount shall be 
available only if the President subsequently so designates 
such amount and transmits such designation to Congress. 
TITLE II—WATER ACCESSIBILITY 
AND AFFORDABILITY 
SEC. 201. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Obtaining reliable and affordable water 
service is becoming increasingly difficult due to 
aging infrastructure, climate change, and population 
changes. 
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(2) Household water rates have increased by 
approximately 41 percent since 2010. Over the last 
several decades, the cost for drinking water and 
wastewater services has risen much more rapidly 
than other household expenses. 
(3) According to the Environmental Protection 
Agency, low-income households are particularly im-
pacted by water affordability challenges when drink-
ing water, wastewater, and stormwater rates are 
raised. 
(4) Across the United States, water and waste-
water bills have been increasing at more than twice 
the rate of inflation for nearly 2 decades. Addition-
ally, incomes have barely kept up with inflation over 
the same period. It is anticipated that rates for 
water and wastewater services will continue to in-
crease to meet the need for billions of dollars of 
overdue investment in our Nation’s water and waste-
water systems. 
(5) The Environmental Protection Agency re-
ports that approximately 15 percent of residential 
water customers nationally are low-income house-
holds that are constantly at risk of being unable to 
pay their water bills. 
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(6) Low-income households are 3 times more 
likely than other households to have their utility 
service disconnected for unpaid or overdue bills. 
(7) An estimated 15,000,000 people in the 
United States experienced a water shutoff in 2016 
with the highest shutoff rates in lower-income cities 
with higher rates of poverty and unemployment. 
(8) In 2017, total appropriations to the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency for water infrastruc-
ture were 35 percent lower than the corresponding 
2001 appropriations (adjusted for inflation) despite 
massive capital investments being needed for drink-
ing water and wastewater systems. 
(9) Water accessibility is a fundamental ele-
ment of public health, safety, welfare, and security. 
SEC. 
202. 
DRINKING 
WATER, 
WASTEWATER, 
AND 
STORMWATER SERVICES ASSISTANCE NEEDS- 
BASED PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
ENVIRONMENTALLY
AT-RISK
HOUSE-
HOLD.—The term ‘‘environmentally at-risk house-
hold’’ means such a household, as defined by the 
Secretary after consultation with the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, considering 
factors such as— 
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(A) the proximity of the household to an 
environmentally hazardous site, including a 
Superfund site or coal ash site (as such sites 
are defined by the Administrator of the Envi-
ronmental 
Protection 
Administration), 
or 
brownfield site (as defined in section 101 of the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Com-
pensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 
9601)); 
(B) whether the household is in an area 
that is affected by a consent decree relating to 
compliance with the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); 
(C) whether the household is in an area 
that has been found to be in violation of the 
Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et 
seq.) maximum contaminant level for any con-
taminant; and 
(D) whether the household is located with-
in 5 miles of a pollution hotspot. 
(2) 
HOUSEHOLD.—The 
term 
‘‘household’’ 
means any individual or group of individuals who 
are living together as 1 economic unit. 
(3) 
LOW-INCOME
HOUSEHOLD.—The 
term 
‘‘low-income household’’ means a household— 
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(A) in which one or more individuals are 
receiving— 
(i) assistance under a State program 
funded under part A of title IV of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 
(ii) payments under the supplemental 
security income program established under 
title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 
(iii) benefits under the supplemental 
nutrition assistance program under the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2011 et seq.); or 
(iv) payments under— 
(I) section 1315, 1521, 1541, or 
1542 of title 38, United States Code; 
or 
(II) section 306 of the Veterans’ 
and Survivors’ Pension Improvement 
Act of 1978 (38 U.S.C. 1521 note; 
Public Law 95–588); or 
(B) that, subject to subsection (f), has an 
income that, as determined by the State in 
which the household is located, does not exceed 
the greater of— 
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ance and disseminate information under section 
104(b)(8) of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1254(b)(8)); 
(B) $522,750,000 to make grants for pol-
lution control programs under section 106 of 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1256); 
(C) $871,250,000 to make grants for the 
implementation of management programs under 
section 319(h)(1) of the Federal Water Pollu-
tion Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1329(h)(1)); and 
(D) $1,000,000 to assist in the planning, 
development, strengthening, improving, or car-
rying out of programs or projects for the prepa-
ration of undergraduate students to enter an 
occupation which involves the design, operation, 
and maintenance of treatment works and other 
facilities under section 109 of the Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1259). 
(2) PRIORITIES.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, in using the funds obligated under 
paragraph (1), the Administrator shall give priority 
to projects or programs that— 
(A) benefit low-income communities; 
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