Upton Statement on Committee Passage of Legislation to Modernize Nation’s Water Infrastructure

WASHINGTON – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, today released the following statement after the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced H.R. 3387, the Drinking Water System Improvement Act, by a unanimous vote.

“We lived through a terrible tragedy in Flint. And yes, there is still more work to be done there. But Flint was a wake-up call for the rest of the country. Whether rural or urban, folks raised their hands and asked the same question: Is our water safe? This bill helps answer that and is a major step forward in modernizing our nation’s drinking water and water infrastructure. I look forward to the full House of Representatives examining this legislation and getting it one step closer to the president’s desk.”

H.R. 3387 would authorize $8 billion over five years for the drinking water revolving loan fund program. It would also expand the eligible uses of Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund to cover the costs associated with preconstruction activities and replacing or rehabilitating aging treatment, storage, or distribution facilities. Finally, it would create a strategic plan to have an electronic system that allows water utilities to send their compliance data to states and have states send it to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).