The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), on July 15 approved her bipartisan water resources legislation, advancing it to the full Senate for action.
The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026, S. 4949, which Sen. Capito sponsored on July 13 alongside lead cosponsor U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), provides for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States and for the conservation and development of water and related resources. Sen. Capito’s home state also would see significant benefits from the bill.
“This bipartisan legislation will have an incredible impact on West Virginia and our state’s water resources infrastructure,” Sen. Capito said. “I am very pleased to share these wins that WRDA 2026 will deliver for our state, and I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this legislation in action.”
The WRDA is biennial legislation that authorizes flood risk management, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. WRDA 2026 also reauthorizes the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water and wastewater infrastructure programs, including the State Revolving Funds (SRFs).
The bill supports locally driven projects that also deliver regional and national benefits, including strengthening our nation’s global competitiveness and supply chain, helping communities manage flood risk, among others, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Capito’s staff.
“The Army Corps’ critical work is essential to managing flood risk and improving drinking and wastewater facilities across West Virginia,” she said. “The EPA’s water infrastructure programs also help improve access to clean and safe drinking water in communities statewide.”
If enacted, S. 4949 would benefit West Virginia in several ways, including by adjusting the cost-share for any future projects in the state that are identified by the feasibility study for flood risk management in the Upper Guyandotte River Basin, reducing financial burden for vulnerable communities.
The bill also would authorize new feasibility studies to address flood risk for communities in West Virginia, establish a new program for the Corps to assist with small projects for debris removal within streams in the state, and urge the Corps to expedite completion of studies and projects in several towns across the state.
Additionally, the bill would increase the authorized funding level for the Corps’ Section 340 and Section 571 environmental infrastructure programs, which support drinking water and wastewater projects across West Virginia, and increase authorized funding for West Virginia’s SRF Programs, among numerous other benefits, the summary says.