ACEC Lays Out Series of Recommendations For Senate Water Infrastructure Legislation

ACEC News

May 1, 2020

ACEC Lays Out Series of Recommendations For Senate Water Infrastructure Legislation

With the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works expected to release legislation in May for the reauthorizations of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), ACEC sent a letter to Committee leaders recommending aggressive steps to address the nation’s pressing water infrastructure needs.

Among the recommendations:

• WRDA, CWA, and SDWA reauthorizations should reflect a broader commitment to resilience.
• The WRDA backlog should be reduced and be reviewed to mitigate future risk.
• WRDA reauthorization should articulate the strong partnership between the Corps and the private engineering sector.
• Robust funding for the State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs is critical to meet system needs, and timely as part of an infrastructure-based recovery agenda.
• Buy America provisions should not unreasonably block critical drinking water projects.
• Emerging contaminant remediation funding should be aligned with the national legal framework for hazardous substance designation and regulation of drinking water maximum contaminant levels.
• The Brooks Act should be applied to engineering of DWSRF and other grant-funded draft DWIA projects.
• Oppose so-called “open competition” materials mandates that interfere with engineering judgement.

Click here to read the letter.

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