Local communities would be given flexibility to comply with Clean Water Act requirements when updating aging water infrastructure under legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) that garnered bipartisan support.
The Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act, which Fischer introduced with U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Rob Portman (R-OH), would also give local communities more autonomy to prioritize wastewater and stormwater improvement projects.
Many local governments face challenges meeting Clean Water Act requirements for updating their stormwater and wastewater systems due to the expense. The U.S. Conference of Mayors said municipalities spend on average between 6 to 7 cents of every tax dollar on water and sewer systems.
“Improvements to water infrastructure help keep Americans healthy and safe,” Fischer said. “But as local communities work to comply with burdensome EPA mandates, costs are ultimately passed on to families through higher utility bills.”
For example, in 2014, the city council in Omaha, Nebraska, approved a sewer rate increase of approximately 45 percent over several years.
“This bipartisan legislation would give cities and local communities more control and flexibility as they manage infrastructure updates. It would also allow them to prioritize projects in an effective manner,” she said.
In a letter to lawmakers, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities, endorsed the legislation.
“Since our water and wastewater systems are paid for by the ratepayers, the bill will help reduce costs for a substantial number of our low-income citizens who spend a significant portion of their income on water and wastewater bills,” the letter said.
Cities and counties spend more than $115 billion per year to provide safe and reliable water and sewer services and maintain a vast infrastructure of pipes, pumps and plants, according to the letter.
The new legislation would establish an Office of Municipal Ombudsman within the Environmental Protection Agency to help municipalities comply with Clean Water Act requirements for water infrastructure improvement projects and would compel EPA to promote “green infrastructure” projects.
The measure would also advise the EPA to update guidance and criteria for determining affordability and to revise its guidance for affordability measures.
“Integrated planning is important as communities in Missouri struggle with limited resources to address their environmental compliance needs,” Blunt said. “I am pleased to cosponsor this bill, which builds on my efforts regarding community affordability and integrated planning and will provide flexibility to communities for their investments in wastewater and stormwater projects.”