[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1642 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1642

  To reduce Federal, State, and local costs of providing high-quality 
 drinking water to millions of people in the United States residing in 
    rural communities by facilitating greater use of cost-effective 
   alternative systems, including well water systems, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2015

 Mr. Boozman (for himself, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Tester) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reduce Federal, State, and local costs of providing high-quality 
 drinking water to millions of people in the United States residing in 
    rural communities by facilitating greater use of cost-effective 
   alternative systems, including well water systems, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Water Supply Cost Savings Act'' or 
the ``Savings Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States is facing a drinking water 
        infrastructure funding crisis;
            (2) the Environmental Protection Agency projects a 
        shortfall of approximately $384,000,000,000 in funding for 
        drinking water infrastructure from 2015 to 2035 and this 
        funding challenge is particularly acute in rural communities in 
        the United States;
            (3) there are approximately 52,000 community water systems 
        in the United States, of which nearly 42,000 are small 
        community water systems;
            (4) the Drinking Water Needs Survey conducted by the 
        Environmental Protection Agency in 2011 placed the shortfall in 
        drinking water infrastructure funding for small communities, 
        which consist of 3,300 or fewer persons, at $64,500,000,000;
            (5) small communities often cannot finance the construction 
        and maintenance of drinking water systems because the cost per 
        resident for the investment would be prohibitively expensive;
            (6) drought conditions have placed significant strains on 
        existing surface water supplies;
            (7) many communities across the United States are 
        considering the use of groundwater and community well systems 
        to provide drinking water; and
            (8) approximately 42,000,000 people in the United States 
        receive drinking water from individual wells and millions more 
        rely on community well systems for drinking water.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that providing rural communities with 
the knowledge and resources necessary to fully use alternative drinking 
water systems, including wells and community well systems, can provide 
safe and affordable drinking water to millions of people in the United 
States.

SEC. 4. DRINKING WATER TECHNOLOGY CLEARINGHOUSE.

    The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall--
            (1) update existing programs of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture designed to 
        provide drinking water technical assistance to include 
        information on cost-effective, innovative, and alternative 
        drinking water delivery systems, including systems that are 
        supported by wells; and
            (2) disseminate information on the cost effectiveness of 
        alternative drinking water delivery systems, including wells 
        and well systems, to communities and not-for-profit 
        organizations seeking Federal funding for drinking water 
        systems serving 500 or fewer persons.

SEC. 5. WATER SYSTEM ASSESSMENT.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any application for 
a grant or loan from the Federal Government or a State that is using 
Federal assistance for a drinking water system serving 500 or fewer 
persons, a unit of local government or not-for-profit organization 
shall self-certify that the unit of local government or organization 
has considered, as an alternative drinking water supply, drinking water 
delivery systems sourced by publicly owned--
            (1) individual wells;
            (2) shared wells; and
            (3) community wells.

SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall provide to Congress a report that describes--
            (1) the use of innovative and alternative drinking water 
        systems described in this Act;
            (2) the range of cost savings for communities using 
        innovative and alternative drinking water systems described in 
        this Act; and
            (3) the use of drinking water technical assistance programs 
        operated by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture.
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