Title: Assuring Quality Water Infrastructure Act
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Assuring Quality Water Infrastructure Act
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a grant program to improve drinking water infrastructure. Under the program, the EPA must improve the operational sustainability for at least one small public water system through the identification and prevention of potable water loss due to metering or infrastructure failures.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6622 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6622

 To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish a grant program for 
improving operational sustainability by small public water systems, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2020

   Mr. McKinley (for himself and Ms. Blunt Rochester) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish a grant program for 
improving operational sustainability by small public water 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 ``Assuring Quality Water 
Infrastructure Act''.

SEC. 2. OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL PUBLIC WATER 
              SYSTEMS.

    Part E of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 1459E. OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL PUBLIC 
              WATER SYSTEMS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a unit of local government;
                    ``(B) a public corporation established by a unit of 
                local government to provide water service; or
                    ``(C) a nonprofit corporation, public trust, or 
                cooperative association that owns or operates a public 
                water system.
            ``(2) Operational sustainability.--The term `operational 
        sustainability' means concepts, tools, and techniques that are 
        intended to improve the operation of a small system through the 
        identification and prevention of potable water loss due to 
        leaks, breaks, and other metering or infrastructure failures.
            ``(3) Program.--The term `program' means the grant program 
        established under subsection (b).
            ``(4) Small system.--The term `small system' means a public 
        water system that--
                    ``(A) serves fewer than 10,000 people; and
                    ``(B) is owned or operated by--
                            ``(i) a unit of local government;
                            ``(ii) a public corporation;
                            ``(iii) a nonprofit corporation;
                            ``(iv) a public trust; or
                            ``(v) a cooperative association.
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a program 
to award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of improving 
operational sustainability for one or more small systems.
    ``(c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Administrator an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Administrator may require, including--
            ``(1) a proposal of the project to be carried out using 
        grant funds under the program;
            ``(2) documentation prepared by the eligible entity 
        describing the deficiencies in operational sustainability of 
        one or more small systems that are to be addressed through the 
        proposed project;
            ``(3) a description of how the proposed project will 
        improve operational sustainability for one or more small 
        systems;
            ``(4) a description of how the improvements described in 
        paragraph (3) will be maintained beyond the life of the 
        proposed project, including a plan to maintain and update any 
        asset data collected as a result of the proposed project;
            ``(5) a copy of a written agreement between the eligible 
        entity and the State within which the eligible entity is 
        located in which the eligible entity agrees to provide a copy 
        of any data collected under the proposed project to the State 
        agency administering the State drinking water treatment 
        revolving loan fund of the State established under section 
        1452, or a designee; and
            ``(6) any additional information the Administrator may 
        require.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
the program shall use the grant funds to carry out projects that 
improve operational sustainability for one or more small systems 
through--
            ``(1) the development of a detailed asset inventory, which 
        may include drinking water sources, storage, valves, treatment 
        systems, distribution lines, hydrants, pumps, controls, and 
        other essential infrastructure;
            ``(2) the development of an infrastructure asset map, 
        including a map that uses technology such as--
                    ``(A) geographic information system software; and
                    ``(B) global positioning system software;
            ``(3) the deployment of leak detection technology;
            ``(4) the deployment of metering technology;
            ``(5) training in asset management concepts, tools, and 
        techniques of appropriate staff employed by--
                    ``(A) the eligible entity; or
                    ``(B) the small systems for which the grant was 
                received; and
            ``(6) the development or deployment of other concepts, 
        tools, or techniques that the Administrator may determine to be 
        appropriate under the program.
    ``(e) Cost Share.--The Federal share of a project carried out using 
a grant under the program shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost 
of the project.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2025.''.
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