Western States Water Council

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Letter Supporting Various Provisions of Pending Infrastructure Bills

On June 10, 2020, the WSWC sent a letter to Senate Leadership supporting multiple infrastructure bills consistent with current Council positions. Specifically, the Council expressed support for the Water Supply Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Utilization Act (S. 2044) and the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act (S. 1570), both now pending on the Senate Legislative Calendar; Senator Martha McSally’s (R-AZ) proposed amendment to H.R. 1957 and the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), to provide for the establishment of an Aging Infrastructure Account; as well as the goals and objectives of the Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act (S. 1932) and Western Water Security Act (S. 2718).

The Council letter highlighted “…provisions that authorize programs, projects and funding for: (1) the maintenance or replacement of aging water infrastructure, including systems for drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, and water supply; (2) dam and levee safety; (3) surface and groundwater storage, including aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) projects; (4) water recycling, reuse, and desalination projects; (5) watershed and wetlands rehabilitation and recovery, taking advantage of natural ecological services; (6) forecast informed reservoir operation (FIRO) pilot studies and revised project rule curves and operating manuals; and (7) WaterSMART projects and programs. We welcome and applaud these efforts to improve our Nation’s water infrastructure.” It also emphasized the federal role in authorizing and appropriating funds to share in the cost of water infrastructure, the importance of interagency coordination, and recommended that investments in water data be considered part of water infrastructure needs.”

10 June 2020 WSWC Letter Senate Water Infrastructure Proposals