Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act

Bill: 116-s-2636
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2019-10-17
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources

Energy efficiency and conservation

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Environmental technology

Floods and storm protection

Natural disasters

Research administration and funding

Solid waste and recycling

Water quality

Water resources funding

Water use and supply

Watersheds
Latest action: action_date: 2019-10-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-10-17
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act</strong></p> <p>This bill authorizes grant programs to increase the resiliency of water infrastructure to natural hazards. </p> <p>Specifically, it requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a grant program for increasing the resilience of publicly owned treatment works to natural hazards. </p> <p>In addition, the bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and revises the EPA's Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program. Under the program, the EPA must award grants to community water systems for increasing their resilience to natural hazards.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2636 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 17, 2019 Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mrs. Capito ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a program to make grants to eligible entities to increase the resilience of publicly owned treatment works to natural hazards, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act . 2. Clean water infrastructure resiliency and sustainability program Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 222. Clean water infrastructure resiliency and sustainability program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (A) a municipality; or (B) an intermunicipal, interstate, or State agency. (2) Natural hazard The term natural hazard means a hazard caused by natural forces, including extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and extreme drought conditions. (3) Program The term program means the clean water infrastructure resilience and sustainability program established under subsection (b). (b) Establishment The Administrator shall establish a clean water infrastructure resilience and sustainability program under which the Administrator shall award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of increasing the resilience of publicly owned treatment works to a natural hazard. (c) Use of funds An eligible entity that receives a grant under the program shall use the grant funds for planning, designing, or constructing projects (on a system-wide or area-wide basis) that increase the resilience of a publicly owned treatment works to a natural hazard through— (1) the conservation of water; (2) the enhancement of water use efficiency; (3) the enhancement of wastewater and stormwater management by increasing watershed preservation and protection, including through the use of— (A) natural and engineered green infrastructure; and (B) reclamation and reuse of wastewater and stormwater, such as aquifer recharge zones; (4) the modification or relocation of an existing publicly owned treatment works that is at risk of being significantly impaired or damaged by a natural hazard; (5) the development and implementation of projects to increase the resilience of publicly owned treatment works to a natural hazard; or (6) the enhancement of energy efficiency or the use and generation of recovered or renewable energy in the management, treatment, or conveyance of wastewater or stormwater. (d) Application 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 planned, designed, or constructed using funds under the program; (2) an identification of the natural hazard risk to be addressed by the proposed project; (3) documentation prepared by a Federal, State, regional, or local government agency of the natural hazard risk of the area where the proposed project is to be located; (4) a description of any recent natural hazard events that have affected the publicly owned treatment works; (5) a description of how the proposed project would improve the performance of the publicly owned treatment works under an anticipated natural hazard; and (6) an explanation of how the proposed project is expected to enhance the resilience of the publicly owned treatment works to an anticipated natural hazard. (e) Grant amount and other Federal requirements (1) Cost share A grant under the program shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the proposed project. (2) Requirements The requirements of section 608 shall apply to a project funded with a grant under the program. (f) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. . 3. Drinking water infrastructure resilience and sustainability Section 1459A of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–19a ) is amended— (1) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting (except for subsection (l)) after this section ; and (2) in subsection (l)— (A) in paragraph (2)— (i) by striking The Administrator may and inserting The Administrator shall ; and (ii) by striking fiscal years 2019 and 2020 to eligible entities and inserting fiscal years 2020 through 2024 to community water systems ; (B) in paragraph (3)— (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking An eligible entity and inserting A community water system ; and (ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking eligible entity and inserting community water system ; (C) in paragraph (4), by striking eligible entity each place it appears and inserting community water system ; and (D) in paragraph (5), by striking $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 and 2020 and inserting $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024 .