Sewage Infrastructure
Bringing our nation’s water systems into
the 21st Century
It’s fair to say there is not much agreement these
days between Republicans and Democrats in Washington. Whether the topic
is immigration, the Iraq War or tax breaks, it seems increasingly difficult
to find common ground between the two sides.
But on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, we have found
one topic that both sides agree upon: the need for the federal government
to help communities update or replace their aging water systems to ensure
clean, healthy drinking water for their citizens.
Last July, our committee passed a bill, S. 1400, which would provide
$35 billion over five years for clean water and drinking water infrastructure
investments. The bill would also authorize $3.6 billion in grant funding
for watershed restoration to remedy sewage overflows and stormwater discharges,
to promote innovations in technology and alternative approaches to water
quality management.
The Water Infrastructure Financing Act enjoyed strong support in our
committee from both sides of the political aisle. Unfortunately, the
full Senate has yet to take action on our bill, which is now caught in
legislative limbo. This is tragic. We know that our nation’s need
for updating its water and wastewater projects continues to grow at a
pace that we can’t keep up with. The Environmental Protection Agency
now estimates that the gap for funding these water projects over the
next 20 years now exceeds $300 billion.
Our stalled legislation would have helped close that gap, or at least
worked to narrow the great divide. I believe this bipartisan effort reflects
a growing awareness that our nation’s water supply is an increasingly
precious resource that we must protect.
Sadly, that growing awareness does not seem to extend as far as the White
House. President Bush’s proposed 2007 budget would cut the Clean
Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) by almost 50 percent from what annual
appropriations were when he took office.
The administration’s budget is akin to an ostrich sticking its
head in the sand. We all know that ignoring our problems won’t
make them disappear. If only it were that easy.
I have said before, and I continue to believe, that our nation’s
budget priorities are misguided. I believe that investing in clean water
programs should be a priority rather than an afterthought, for the sake
of our generation and for the generations to come.
I would argue that ensuring our nation’s water infrastructure is
up-to-date is not just an environmental priority, but a homeland security
priority. This administration seems to recognize the importance of clean
water overseas, but not at home. We’ve dedicated 12 percent of
reconstruction funds in Iraq to water projects. As of February, the U.S.
planned to complete 712 water projects in Iraq, having already finished
434.
On the homefront, we have made progress since Congress first passed the
Clean Water Act in 1972, but we need to look no further than our rivers,
lakes and streams to know that there is much more work to be done.
The EPA estimates that 40 percent of our nation’s waters remain
polluted, unable to meet the criteria of “fishable and swimmable.” Discharges
from aging and failing sewage systems, urban stormwater and other sources
of pollution continue to pose serious threats to our drinking water supplies.
For years we have debated the role of the federal government in protecting
our waters. That debate was front and center in 1987, when we amended
the Clean Water Act to create state revolving funds. It remains so today,
as we witness much of our nation’s water infrastructure nearing
the end of its useful life. I believe it is time to end the debate and
for Congress and the administration to make a solid commitment to helping
our communities bring their water systems into the 21st Century.
As I prepare in the coming months to wrap up my 32-year career in Washington
(yes, I’ve been here almost as long as the Clean Water Act), I
am sorry that I won’t be here next session to renew the push for
funding, but I trust many of my colleagues will. As a nation, we cannot
afford to sit back and watch our nation’s water systems deteriorate.
Clean Water Funding Slashed
President Bush and his friends in Congress seem to have decided to make 2007 the year that America gives up on treating sewage. For the past several years, the President has proposed funding cuts to U.S. EPA’s low-interest state loan program used by communities to install, maintain and upgrade sewage and stormwater treatment systems. Each year until now Congress restored the funding for this program, called the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund. But our sources on Capital Hill tell us that Congress may not come to the rescue this year.
The aging of the nation’s sewage treatment infrastructure has a direct effect on our waters and everyone who comes into contact with them. Many sewage systems cannot meet the demands of growing populations, and are crumbling due to age and inadequate maintenance.
Symptoms of the problem include old pipes that leak or break, discharges of raw sewage when it rains and the growing number of beach closures and polluted waterways nationwide. EPA estimates that between 23,000 and 75,000 sewar overflows occur nationwide every year, resulting in the release of three to 10 billion gallons of untreated wastewater. An estimated eight million Americans get sick every year from swimming in or drinking polluted water.
States, localities and private sources working to address their water infrastructure problems cannot meet the funding gap alone. For many states, water quality needs are urgent – yet projects are already seriously under-funded. The failure to fully fund the Clean Water State Revolving Fund only exacerbates the nation’s water quality crisis.
Swimming in Sewage Report,
Senator Jim Jeffords is Ranking Member, Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee.