NGWA believes that our nation’s water wells must be supported in any upcoming infrastructure legislation that advances through Congress. The United States has over 15 million private water wells serving over 40 million people. These water wells are largely located in rural, small, and underserved communities.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bill, was signed into law in November of 2021. NGWA has tracked the following industry specific provisions within the bill and will be monitoring their implementation.
The most significant industry-specific provisions in the bill include the following:
- Study on Stormwater Best Management Practices directs the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to study pollutant loads from highways and pedestrian facilities and recommend potential stormwater management and total maximum daily load compliance strategies.
- Water Storage, Groundwater Storage, and Conveyance Projects directs the Department of the Interior (DOI) to conduct feasibility studies for water storage, groundwater storage, and conveyance projects, and specifies a project approval process.
- Small Water Storage and Groundwater Storage Projects provides through the DOI a competitive grant program for Reclamation states, plus Alaska and Hawaii, for small water storage and groundwater storage projects.
- Competitive Grant Program for Large-Scale Water Recycling and Reuse Program provides through the DOI a competitive grant program for Reclamation states for large-scale water recycling and reuse projects based on feasibility studies and 25 percent federal cost share.
- Federal Assistance for Groundwater Recharge, Aquifer Storage, and Water Source Substitution Projects directs the DOI to offer technical and financial assistance and enter into agreements for groundwater recharge projects, aquifer storage and recovery projects, or water source substitution projects on a cost-sharing basis.
- Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities provides grants to states to assist in the purchase of point-of-entry or point-of-use filters and filtration systems, replacement of lead service lines and other sources of lead in drinking water, and the costs associated with connecting a household to a public water system.
- Reducing Lead in Drinking Water provides through the EPA financial assistance to public water systems and nonprofit organizations to replace lead service lines with priority for disadvantaged communities, low-income homeowners, and property owners of housing for low-income renters.
- Highway Funding and Truck Driver Pilot Program provides more than $345 billion for highway funding and freight infrastructure and will establish a three-year, national pilot program based on the DRIVE-Safe Act, authorizing up to 3000 18-20-year-old truck drivers to undergo advanced safety training to participate in interstate commerce.
The $10 billion to help address PFAS contamination is split through three programs:
- $5 billion through the EPA’s Assistance to Small and Disadvantaged Communities Program and State Response to Contaminants program to address emerging contaminants
- $4 billion through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for emerging contaminants with a focus on PFAS
- $1 billion through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to address emerging contaminants.