[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 130 (Thursday, July 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Padilla):
  S. 2697. A bill to amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act to modify the definitions of the terms ``rural'' and ``rural area'' 
for purposes of grants and loans to remedy a lack of compliance with 
certain drinking water standards, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I rise today to introduce the Clean 
Drinking Water for Rural Communities Act of 2023 and thank my colleague 
Senator Padilla for joining me as an original cosponsor.
  Our bill would change the eligibility limit for the water and 
wastewater programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office 
of Rural Development from 10,000 residents to 20,000 residents for 
investments to treat contaminated drinking water that does not meet 
Federal and State standards. Modifying the threshold would correct an 
oversight that is a barrier for many rural and agricultural communities 
to access clean drinking water.
  Many rural communities across the United States lack access to safe 
drinking water because their aging systems have not kept pace with 
worsening pollution. In many of these communities, agricultural runoff 
has caused nitrate concentrations to soar, which can cause cancer, 
thyroid disease, and developmental defects. The problem has become 
widespread in low-income, rural, and farmworker communities in 
California's Central Valley, where the majority of residents get their 
water from wells without any treatment system.
  Unfortunately, the cost of addressing this problem can be prohibitive 
for small water systems that serve mostly low-income residents. Many of 
these communities exceed the 10,000-resident limit for USDA programs 
but are too small to be competitive for other drinking water assistance 
programs. These communities are left to rely on bottled water or 
drinking water that does not comply with Federal or State standards.
  The small change proposed in this bill would enable more communities 
in the Central Valley and around the country to use USDA funds to 
remove contamination or connect to larger water systems.
  Congress has an opportunity this year to make this small change to 
USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to improve 
access to safe, clean drinking water for individuals in small, 
agricultural communities. I thank Senator Padilla for his partnership 
on this bill, and I urge the full Senate to take it up and pass it as 
soon as possible.
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