A $9.3 billion water infrastructure development bill could end up making it to the Senate floor by the end of the week, according to Senate aides.
Introduced Tuesday morning, the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 would authorize 25 Army Corps of Engineers projects in 17 states that already have funding approved. Those 25 projects would total $4.5 billion and include projects that would improve ports, rebuild levees for flood control, increase hurricane protection in Louisiana, and build ecosystem restoration projects in bodies of water across the country.
In addition, the bill includes $4.8 billion in investment in the country’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
An aide on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee said the panel is bullish on the bill’s chances of getting through Congress this summer. A markup is scheduled for Thursday and the goal is to get the bill to the Senate floor as soon as possible.
“This might be one of the last large bills that leaves this committee this year,” the aide said. “It was an important opportunity to take advantage of here.”
The projects in the bill already have been reviewed by Congress and simply need authorization to go ahead. The aide said doing so through the bill would be easier than going through the appropriations process, which can be more risky in getting projects approved.
The bill would help poor and disadvantaged communities, such as Flint, Mich., with their drinking water infrastructure as well.
Among the programs included in the bill is $1.4 billion in spending over the next five years to help updating water infrastructure in those places. Among the plans are $300 million over the next five years to replace lead pipes and $100 million over the next five years to test for lead in the water in schools and daycare centers.
There are also some modifications and additional funding for the State Revolving Loan Fund programs, which allows the EPA to back loans to communities around the country to update their infrastructure.
The bill is an attempt to get Congress back on a two-year schedule for passing a Water Resources Development Act. The last such act was passed in 2014, with the previous act to that being passed in 2007.
The aide said the 2014 bill was $12.4 billion due to pent up demand in Army Corps of Engineers projects. Getting the bill through Congress before the end of the legislative calendar is key to making sure the flow of infrastructure updates continues, the aide said.
“It’s important to recognize … if we fail to act in this committee to authorize these projects, it is near impossible [for them to get done],” he said.
