Date: 2009-03-12
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Thank you to the Chair of the full committee and to the subcommittee members. as well as the full committee. I rise in strong support of the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009. This legislation authorizes almost $19 billion to protect and restore the integrity of U.S. waters. which are one of this countrys most valuable natural resources. Over the past several decades. we have made significant progress in improving the quality of our water. Unfortunately. much of this progress is now at risk. Today. approximately 40 percent of the rivers. lakes and coastal waters do not meet State water quality standards. and the problem is getting worse. Based on EPA estimates. without significant additional investment in our Nations system of wastewater infrastructure. discharges into the U.S. waters could reach levels not seen since 1968. 4 years before the enactment of the 1972 Clean Water Act. Moreover. much of the United States water structure is approaching or has exceeded its projected useful life and is now in need of repair or replacement. Without significant investment now. this could have dire consequences for human health. aquatic ecosystems and our overall quality of life. The Environmental Protection Agency and others estimate that we will need to invest between $300 billion to $400 billion over the next 20 years to address these water infrastructure needs. Current estimates show an annual funding gap of between $3 billion to $11 billion over our existing expenditures. from Federal. State and local sources. This legislation will help jumpstart the investment in these needs so that we will continue to have access to clean. safe water and so future generations can continue to enjoy the economic and recreational benefits of our water resources. The Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 contains five titles which. together. will make great progress to this end. Each of these titles contain legislative proposals that passed through the House in the 110th Congress. Unfortunately. these important bills never became law. The first title reauthorizes the Clean Water State Revolving Fund legislation. It is intended to address the Nations infrastructure needs and to reaffirm the Federal commitment toward meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act. This title reauthorizes the Federal grant program for capitalizing State Revolving Funds at $13.8 billion over next 5 years. Further. the reauthorization provides increased flexibility in the types of projects that the State Revolving Fund can finance. In addition. it seeks to improve the efficiency of our wastewater infrastructure by promoting. to the maximum extent practicable. the use of more energy and waterefficient practices. . i 1115 This creates incentives for alternative energy approaches that will lower energy costs and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. It also encourages the development of "green infrastructure" that decreases the amount of storm water that enters our waterways. relieving some of the strain on our aging wastewater treatment systems. It also provides the States with increased flexibility in financing packages so they can offer the cities and local communities principal forgiveness and negative interest loans. This is intended to assist communities in meeting their water quality infrastructure goals. which is critical in this time of economic stress. Title II of the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 provides funding for the pilot program for alternative water source projects. and this program provides $250 million in grant funding for a variety of projects. such as water reuse and recyclingTitle III of the legislation reauthorizes the Sewer Overflow Grant Program. This section provides $1.8 billion over the next 5 years in grant funding for States to control combined sewer overflows. These overflows discharge annually an estimated 850 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage directly into local waters. In addition. combined sewer overflows are often the direct cause of beach closures. contamination of drinking water supplies. and other environmental and public health problems. This program will help address the critical needs of the approximately 700 communities in the United States that still depend on combined sewer systems.