Water Infrastructure Modernization Act
Bill: H.R.6088 | Sponsor: Rep. Gallego, Ruben (D-AZ)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Water Infrastructure Modernization Act
This bill establishes grants for owners and operators of community water systems to support planning and other aspects of implementing smart water network technologies.

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to authorize grants for smart 
        water infrastructure technology, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Water Infrastructure Modernization 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to upgrade and modernize drinking water systems in the 
        United States, tackle new contaminants, and support drinking 
        water infrastructure across America;
            (2) to support the modernization of drinking water 
        infrastructure and management systems to maintain reliable, 
        resilient, and affordable drinking water infrastructure and 
        ensure the protection of public health; and
            (3) to encourage utilization of water efficient 
        technologies to address drought and prepare for the growing 
        strain population growth and climate change will have on 
        already over-allocated water supplies.

SEC. 3. SMART WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY FOR DRINKING WATER.

    Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (m)(1), by striking ``subsections 
        (a)(2)(G) and (t)'' and inserting ``subsections (a)(2)(G), (t), 
        and (u)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(u) Smart Water Infrastructure Technology.--
            ``(1) Grants.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, the Administrator shall make direct grants to 
        the owners or operators of community water systems for purposes 
        of the planning, design, construction of, and operations 
        training relating to--
                    ``(A) smart water network technologies that--
                            ``(i) can identify water losses from 
                        conveyance facilities in a nondestructive or 
                        nondisruptive manner, including acoustic data 
                        collection; and
                            ``(ii) provide--
                                    ``(I) comprehensive data on 
                                pipeline integrity that document the 
                                presence of leaks or gas pockets; and
                                    ``(II) information on the extent of 
                                such leaks or gas pockets, with an 
                                emphasis on detecting weakness of, 
                                vulnerability of, or damage to pipe 
                                barrels, pipe joints, or other pipe 
                                features;
                    ``(B) real-time sensing technologies, including the 
                use of advanced analytics, that detect and alert 
                operators to leakages and pipeline bursts on a real-
                time basis, including persistent sensor networks 
                capable of measuring--
                            ``(i) acoustic signals;
                            ``(ii) pressure transient; or
                            ``(iii) water quality;
                    ``(C) real-time decision support that integrates 
                sources of data about water distribution networks to 
                deliver common operations information relying on data 
                analytics that can improve operational decisionmaking, 
                including nonrevenue water loss, energy optimization, 
                and water quality improvement;
                    ``(D) advanced metering infrastructure, including 
                meter data analytics and ratepayer technology--
                            ``(i) to improve end user conservation; and
                            ``(ii) in support of disadvantaged 
                        communities;
                    ``(E) resilient water supply projects that may 
                provide real-time monitoring of weather patterns and 
                impacts on water supply and flood protection reservoirs 
                and dams that enhance operations, including--
                            ``(i) improved water supply reliability and 
                        management;
                            ``(ii) protection of natural resources, 
                        including fisheries; and
                            ``(iii) temperature control; and
                    ``(F) innovative and alternative water supply 
                projects, including groundwater banking, that rely on 
                real-time data acquisition to support predictive 
                aquifer recharge through water reuse and stormwater 
                management capabilities.
            ``(2) Program implementation.--
                    ``(A) Selection.--
                            ``(i) Application.--The owner or operator 
                        of a community water system seeking a grant 
                        under paragraph (1) shall submit to the 
                        Administrator an application at such time, in 
                        such manner, and containing such information as 
                        the Administrator may require.
                            ``(ii) Guidance.--Not later than 30 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
                        the Administrator shall issue guidance to 
                        owners and operators of community water systems 
                        on how to submit an application under clause 
                        (i).
                            ``(iii) Selection.--Not later than 30 days 
                        after the date on which the owner or operator 
                        of a community water system seeking a grant 
                        under paragraph (1) submits an application 
                        under clause (i), the Administrator shall 
                        determine whether to approve or deny the 
                        application.
                            ``(iv) Deficient applications.--If the 
                        Administrator determines that an application 
                        submitted under clause (i) is deficient, the 
                        Administrator shall--
                                    ``(I) advise the applicant of the 
                                deficiency; and
                                    ``(II) provide an opportunity for 
                                the applicant to resubmit the 
                                application.
                    ``(B) Disbursement.--If the Administrator approves 
                an application under subparagraph (A)(iii), the 
                Administrator shall disburse grant funds not later than 
                60 days after the date of the determination.
            ``(3) Cost-share.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), the non-Federal share of an activity 
                carried out using a grant under paragraph (1) shall be 
                25 percent.
                    ``(B) Exception.--The Administrator may waive the 
                cost-share requirement under subparagraph (A) if the 
                grant recipient is or serves a disadvantaged community 
                (as defined in subsection (d)(3)).
            ``(4) Compliance with buy america.--Subsection (a)(4) shall 
        apply to grant funds under this subsection, without regard to 
        the fiscal year limitation in subparagraph (A) of that 
        subsection.
            ``(5) Report to congress.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after 
                the date of enactment of this subsection, and not less 
                frequently than annually thereafter, the Administrator 
                shall submit to Congress a report that--
                            ``(i) describes the projects awarded grants 
                        under paragraph (1) during the applicable 
                        reporting period; and
                            ``(ii) includes any recommendations of the 
                        Administrator to improve the ability of grants 
                        under paragraph (1) to achieve the purposes 
                        described in section 2 of the Water 
                        Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021.
                    ``(B) Initial report.--The initial report required 
                under subparagraph (A) shall include a description of 
                the implementation of this subsection, including a 
                description of--
                            ``(i) the projects approved for a grant 
                        under paragraph (1);
                            ``(ii) the projects denied a grant under 
                        paragraph (1); and
                            ``(iii) for the projects described in 
                        clause (ii), a description of the reasons for 
                        which each project was denied a grant.
            ``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--
                    ``(A) In general.--There is authorized to be 
                appropriated to carry out this subsection $25,000,000 
                for the period of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, to 
                remain available until expended.
                    ``(B) Set-asides.--
                            ``(i) Rural communities.--Of the amounts 
                        made available under subparagraph (A), the 
                        Administrator shall use not more than 20 
                        percent to make grants to owners and operators 
                        of community water systems that serve a 
                        population of not more than 10,000 individuals.
                            ``(ii) Tribal communities.--Of the amounts 
                        made available under subparagraph (A), the 
                        Administrator shall use not less than 10 
                        percent to make grants to owners and operators 
                        of community water systems that serve Indian 
                        Tribes.''.
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