[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4234-H4235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                AMERICA'S DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call urgent attention to America's 
drinking water infrastructure. Every day, more than 700 water mains 
break in cities, towns, and villages across our great country. Every 
day, 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water are lost due to leaks 
and breaks in our water infrastructure. That is treated water and our 
tax dollars down the drain.
  With as many as 10 million lead service lines in use today and dozens 
of new unregulated contaminants, the threat to public health goes far 
beyond Flint, Michigan, and Hoosick Falls, New York. Our Federal 
Government has a duty to protect the people of this country. We must 
act decisively to address this growing challenge.
  We maintain roads and bridges and ports and railways and so much 
more, but our investment in our water systems has not kept up, and now 
these systems are failing. Many State and local governments can't keep 
up. They

[[Page H4235]]

need our help. This job needs to get done now, this year, in this 
budget.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge you to join me in supporting H.R. 1071, the AQUA 
Act. Let's respond to these great Nation's drinking water challenges 
with strength, compassion, and passion.

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