President Donald Trump on Jan. 14 signed into law the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, which includes language from a bipartisan, bicameral bill originally sponsored in the U.S. House by U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH).
“I’d like to thank the president for signing this important piece of legislation into law,” said Rep. Latta on Tuesday.
The new law, H.R. 7279, contains several provisions authored by Rep. Latta in the Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act, H.R. 2355/S. 692. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) sponsored the U.S. Senate version of the bill in March 2017 to make it easier for communities across the nation to comply with Clean Water Act regulations when making improvements to their wastewater infrastructures. Rep. Latta introduced the House version in May 2017.
“The Water Infrastructure Improvement Act will provide communities in northwest and west central Ohio with the tools they need to meet their water infrastructure needs,” Rep. Latta said.
Under the Clean Water Act, municipalities spend on average almost 7 percent of their tax dollars on water and sewer systems, according to the congressman, and many ratepayers have experienced rising sewer rates to help cover those costs.
However, despite the increased taxpayer money, Rep. Latta said roughly $300 billion is still necessary for clean water infrastructure investments nationally.
“With the need for billions of dollars’ worth of clean water infrastructure projects in Ohio, this bipartisan law will help municipalities and clean water utilities meet their obligations in a cost-effective way,” he said earlier this week.
Among numerous provisions, the new law amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act, to allow municipalities to develop a plan that integrates wastewater and stormwater management, according to the congressional record summary.
An integrated plan may incorporate all requirements under the act addressed in the plan, such as requirements related to combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer collection systems, and total maximum daily loads, the summary says, and also may include the implementation of green infrastructure and projects to reclaim, recycle or reuse water.
“Green infrastructure includes measures that mimic natural processes to store, reuse, or reduce stormwater,” according to the summary.
“By providing more flexibility,” said Rep. Latta, “integrated planning allows communities to use funds in a targeted manner to implement the most effective water quality improvements.”