I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1160 
To reduce Federal, State, and local costs of providing high-quality drinking 
water to millions of people in the United States residing in rural commu-
nities by facilitating greater use of cost-effective alternative systems, 
including well water systems, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2015 
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 people in the United 
States residing in rural communities by facilitating great-
er use of cost-effective alternative systems, including 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; 
(2) the Environmental Protection Agency 
projects 
a 
shortfall 
of 
approximately 
$384,000,000,000 in funding for drinking water in-
frastructure from 2015 to 2035 and this funding 
challenge is particularly acute in rural communities 
in the United States; 
(3) there are approximately 52,000 community 
water systems in the United States, of which nearly 
42,000 are small community water systems; 
(4) the Drinking Water Needs Survey con-
ducted by the Environmental Protection Agency in 
2011 placed the shortfall in drinking water infra-
structure funding for small communities, which con-
sist of 3,300 or fewer persons, at $64,500,000,000; 
(5) small communities often cannot finance the 
construction and maintenance of drinking water sys-
tems because the cost per resident for the invest-
ment would be prohibitively expensive; 
(6) drought conditions have placed significant 
strains on existing surface water supplies; 
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(7) many communities across the United States 
are considering the use of groundwater and commu-
nity well systems to provide drinking water; and 
(8) approximately 42,000,000 people in the 
United States receive drinking water from individual 
wells and millions more rely on community well sys-
tems for drinking water. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Federal Government lacks the resources 
to fully finance the drinking water infrastructure 
needs of millions of residents in rural communities 
in the United States; and 
(2) providing rural communities with the knowl-
edge and resources necessary to fully use alternative 
drinking water systems, including wells and commu-
nity well systems, can provide safe and affordable 
drinking water to millions of people in the United 
States and help to close the funding gap for tax-
payers. 
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 Environ-
mental Protection Agency and the Department of 
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Agriculture designed to provide drinking water tech-
nical assistance to include information on cost-effec-
tive, innovative, and alternative drinking water deliv-
ery systems, including systems that are supported by 
wells; and 
(2) disseminate information on the cost effec-
tiveness of alternative drinking water delivery sys-
tems, including wells and well systems, to commu-
nities and not-for-profit organizations seeking Fed-
eral funding for drinking water systems serving 500 
or fewer persons. 
SEC. 5. WATER SYSTEM ASSESSMENT. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any 
application for a grant or loan from the Federal Govern-
ment or a State that is using Federal assistance for a 
drinking water system serving 500 or fewer persons, a unit 
of local government or not-for-profit organization shall 
self-certify that the unit of local government or organiza-
tion has considered, as an alternative drinking water sup-
ply, drinking water delivery systems sourced by publicly 
owned— 
(1) individual wells; 
(2) shared wells; and 
(3) community wells. 
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