[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 65 (Monday, April 15, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 641--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 7 THROUGH APRIL 
                  13, 2024, AS ``NATIONAL WATER WEEK''

  Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
Warnock, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Carper, and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 641

       Whereas each community in the United States, both large and 
     small, and urban, rural, and Tribal, deserves to have access 
     to affordable, safe, and clean drinking water, sanitation, 
     and other critical water infrastructure;
       Whereas more than 2,000,000 people in the United States 
     lack access to running water, indoor plumbing, or wastewater 
     services;
       Whereas small, rural, and disadvantaged community water 
     systems struggle to make needed investments while keeping 
     rates affordable;
       Whereas Federal investment in core drinking water, 
     wastewater, stormwater capture, sustainable desalination, and 
     water recycling programs allow local utilities and the 
     customers of those local utilities to have the resources to 
     affordably improve in water reliability and meet Federal 
     regulatory obligations;
       Whereas source control is a critical first step to reducing 
     emerging contaminants from entering water systems and the 
     environment, along with advancing the state of the science on 
     the risks of those contaminants, which is essential to 
     protect public health;
       Whereas water infrastructure projects often rely on 
     specific products and technologies, and substitutions may not 
     be readily available, so it is critical to consider the 
     realities unique to the water sector, and the near-term 
     challenges that water infrastructure projects face;
       Whereas countless disadvantaged communities in the United 
     States struggle to make needed investments in critical water 
     infrastructure while simultaneously keeping rates affordable;
       Whereas water research helps solve some of the most 
     pressing challenges for the water sector, such as--
       (1) aging infrastructure;
       (2) emerging contaminants;
       (3) resiliency to extreme weather;
       (4) drought and water scarcity; and
       (5) significant shifts in population;

       Whereas research and development aimed at finding cost-
     effective solutions to the most pressing challenges for the 
     water sector--
       (1) create more resilient and effective water systems;
       (2) create new jobs and support thriving communities 
     nationwide; and
       (3) result in improved public health and safety and promote 
     equitable solutions throughout the United States; and

       Whereas Congress and the executive branch should assist 
     water utilities to ensure that those communities can continue 
     to fulfill their core mission of protecting public health and 
     the environment while supporting local economic growth by 
     addressing challenges related to--
       (1) managing aging water infrastructure, and escalating 
     operation and maintenance costs, supply chain disruptions, 
     and workforce shortages;
       (2) addressing growing water quality impairments and 
     regulations from emerging contaminants and nutrients; and
       (3) ensuring proper climate adaptation, system resiliency, 
     and security measures are in place: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That Congress hereby designates the week of April 
     7 through April 13, 2024, as ``National Water Week''.

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