Title: Onsite Wastewater Recycling Efficiency Act
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Onsite Wastewater Recycling Efficiency Act
This bill establishes a process whereby each wastewater system that serves a population of no more than 2,500 individuals and receives assistance from specified federal funds must certify that the system has considered an onsite, decentralized wastewater system as an alternative wastewater system.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6804 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6804

To improve processes for alternative wastewater systems, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 13, 2018

   Mr. Babin (for himself and Ms. Sewell of Alabama) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
  and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and 
 Commerce, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve processes for alternative wastewater systems, 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 ``Onsite Wastewater Recycling 
Efficiency Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL ONSITE WASTEWATER RECYCLING.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that providing 
communities with the knowledge and resources necessary to fully use 
decentralized wastewater systems can provide affordable wastewater 
recycling and treatment to millions of people in the United States.
    (b) Definition of Administrator.--In this section, the term 
``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency.
    (c) Wastewater Technology Clearinghouse.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall--
                    (A) for each of the programs described in paragraph 
                (2), update the information for those programs to 
                include information on cost-effective and alternative 
                wastewater recycling and treatment systems, including 
                onsite and decentralized systems; and
                    (B) disseminate to units of local government and 
                nonprofit organizations seeking Federal funds for 
                wastewater systems information on the cost 
                effectiveness of alternative wastewater treatment and 
                recycling systems, including onsite and decentralized 
                systems.
            (2) Programs described.--The programs referred to in 
        paragraph (1)(A) are programs that provide technical assistance 
        for wastewater management, including--
                    (A) programs for nonpoint source management under 
                section 319 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
                (33 U.S.C. 1329);
                    (B) the permit program for the disposal of sewer 
                sludge under section 405 of the Federal Water Pollution 
                Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1345);
                    (C) technical assistance for small public water 
                systems under section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking 
                Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-2(e)); and
                    (D) other programs of the Administrator that 
                provide technical assistance for wastewater management.
    (d) Alternative Wastewater System Certification.--
            (1) Clean water state revolving funds.--Section 603 of the 
        Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383) (as 
        amended by section 5004(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end 
        the following:
    ``(k) Alternative Wastewater System Certification.--In providing 
assistance from the water pollution control revolving fund of the State 
established in accordance with this title for a project for a 
wastewater system serving a population of not more than 2,500, the 
State shall ensure that an entity receiving assistance from the water 
pollution control revolving fund of the State certifies that the entity 
has considered an individual or shared onsite, decentralized wastewater 
system as an alternative wastewater system.''.
            (2) WIFIA.--Section 5028(a) of the Water Infrastructure 
        Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 3907(a)) is 
        amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Alternative wastewater system certification.--In the 
        case of a project carried out by the Administrator, the 
        Administrator shall ensure that, for a project for a wastewater 
        system serving a population of not more than 2,500, the 
        eligible entity receiving financial assistance certifies that 
        the eligible entity has considered an individual or shared 
        onsite, decentralized wastewater system as an alternative 
        wastewater system.''.
            (3) Water and waste disposal loan & grant program.--Section 
        306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
        U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(27) Alternative wastewater system certification.--The 
        Secretary shall ensure that, for a wastewater project serving a 
        population of not more than 2,500, the recipient of the 
        financial assistance certifies that the recipient has 
        considered an individual or shared onsite, decentralized 
        wastewater system as an alternative wastewater system.''.
    (e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than every 3 years 
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that 
describes--
            (1) the amount of financial assistance provided by State 
        water pollution control revolving funds established under title 
        VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381 
        et seq.) to deploy decentralized wastewater recycling 
        technology;
            (2) the barriers impacting greater use of decentralized 
        wastewater recycling technologies;
            (3) the cost-saving potential to communities and future 
        infrastructure investments from further deployment of 
        decentralized wastewater recycling technology;
            (4) the environmental benefits to the community and 
        groundwater quality from additional investments in 
        decentralized wastewater recycling; and
            (5) the actions taken by the Administrator to assist States 
        in identifying eligible projects using decentralized wastewater 
        recycling technology.
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