[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 21, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        INTRODUCTION OF THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST FUND ACT

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 21, 2017

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, America's water systems are in crisis. 
The American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 report card graded our 
wastewater infrastructure a D+, while drinking water received a D. 
While our clean water needs are estimated to be nearly $11 billion per 
year, appropriations for clean water infrastructure have averaged just 
$1.4 billion per year over the past five years. Drinking water 
infrastructure is in worse shape--the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) estimates that we need to invest over $19 billion annually to 
ensure the provision of safe tap water, while Congress appro riates 
less than $1 billion. Though most of our water and wastewater systems 
are 75 to 100 years old, these growing challenges are not due to age 
alone: federal investment has fallen more than 85 percent since 1977.
  Our failure to maintain and improve our water infrastructure doesn't 
only result in a poor grade on paper, it has real and dangerous 
outcomes, like the ongoing lead crisis in Flint, MI or lead-tainted 
water in Portland Public Schools. Water infrastructure-related problems 
are not confined to attention-grabbing headlines. Last year alone, 
American communities suffered more than 250,000 water main breaks and 
saw overflowing combined sewer systems--causing contamination, property 
damage, disruptions in the water supply, and massive traffic jams. 
These problems will only increase. It is time to establish a dedicated 
trust fund for water infrastructure similar to the Highway Trust Fund.
  In honor of Water Week, today, I'm introducing the Water 
Infrastructure Trust Fund Act. This bipartisan bill will provide a 
small, deficit-neutral source of revenue to help states replace, 
repair, and rehabilitate critical clean and drinking water facilities. 
Half of the trust fund revenue will be distributed to local governments 
as grants and loans through the existing Clean Water State Revolving 
Fund (CWSRF) for wastewater treatment construction, while the other 50 
percent will be distributed through the existing Drinking Water State 
Revolving Fund (DWSRF) to finance projects to meet federal drinking 
water standards.
  The Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act is a step in the right 
direction to addressing our growing water challenges, keeping our kids 
and families healthy and our communities safe, livable, and 
economically secure.

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