The Healthy H2O Act creates a federal grant program to help rural households and small facilities (like child-care centers) install certified water filtration systems that remove health contaminants such as lead, arsenic, and PFAS. Eligible recipients must live in rural areas, have tested water containing contaminants, and meet income limits (under 150% of their state’s median nonmetropolitan household income). Grants cover the cost of purchasing, installing, maintaining, and testing certified point-of-use or point-of-entry filtration systems. The program requires annual reports to Congress analyzing water quality trends, filter effectiveness, and emerging needs in affected communities. This initiative addresses immediate drinking water safety gaps where long-term infrastructure projects cannot yet provide solutions.
This bill authorizes federal funding to support water storage projects in western states (Reclamation States) to improve water security. It creates two main programs: one for small surface and groundwater storage projects (200-30,000 acre-feet for surface, 200-150,000 acre-feet for groundwater) and another for "natural" projects using natural methods like aquifer recharge ($15 million annually for 2027-2031). Eligible applicants include states, tribes, water districts, and local entities, with projects requiring Federal cost-sharing up to 90%. Funding must be distributed across multiple Reclamation States, and the bill explicitly states it doesn’t override state water rights or laws.
This bill creates a temporary exemption process under the Endangered Species Act for water projects meeting "critical human water needs," such as municipal drinking water, firefighting, public health, or food security. Water management agencies (federal, state, or local) must first exhaust conservation measures and alternative water sources before seeking an exemption. Exemptions last up to 180 days and require monthly reports on water use, alternative development efforts, and species impacts, with annual reports to Congress. The Secretary of the Interior must issue implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment. This directly affects water agencies managing critical infrastructure during shortages while maintaining ESA protections through strict conditions and oversight.
HR 2656, the *Removing Nitrate and Arsenic in Drinking Water Act*, establishes a federal grant program to help community water systems, schools, and other facilities reduce harmful nitrate and arsenic levels in drinking water. Eligible entities like municipalities, nonprofits, and water systems can apply for grants to install treatment technology, with priority given to disadvantaged communities, areas with past non-compliance, and facilities serving children or vulnerable populations. The program authorizes $15 million annually starting in 2026, limiting administrative costs to 4% of funds. It requires applicants to identify contamination sources and demonstrate how their project will reduce contaminants, aiming to improve water safety for at-risk communities.
HR 3376 creates the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Trust Fund, funded by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 24.5% starting in 2025, with annual funding capped at $35 billion or 1/20th of 20-year infrastructure needs. The bill allocates funds to clean water programs (42%), safe drinking water programs (42.5%), household water well systems (1%), colonias assistance (0.5%), and Indian health services (3%), requiring specific prioritization of low-income and minority communities for many programs. It mandates an EPA study on water affordability, discriminatory practices, and civil rights violations in water service, including data collection on service disconnections affecting vulnerable populations. The bill also includes provisions for lead service line replacement, PFAS contamination response, and job training grants for water system operators with specific requirements to prioritize low-income communities.
This bill establishes the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program to improve coordination among federal agencies working on urban waterways. It designates specific urban areas (particularly overburdened or economically distressed communities) as "partnership locations," requiring each to have a local "Urban Waters ambassador" to coordinate projects. Key mechanisms include a federal steering committee (led by EPA) to guide priorities, a "Learning Network" for sharing best practices, and $10 million annually for program administration through fiscal years 2026-2030. The program aims to advance projects improving water quality, recreation, community engagement, and infrastructure in designated urban watersheds, while requiring annual congressional reports on progress.
HR 773 amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to remove specific provisions related to public-private partnerships. It repeals language referencing "public-private partnerships" in Section 1241(f) and modifies how non-Federal funds can be used for conservation programs. The bill allows the Secretary to create sub-accounts under conservation programs (administered under subtitle D) to accept and use non-Federal funds, directing these funds specifically to those programs' sub-accounts instead of general accounts. This change directly affects conservation programs funded through the Secretary's administration under the Food Security Act. The bill focuses on streamlining the handling of contributions for these programs without creating new requirements.
This bill creates federal grants to help community and municipal utilities repair or replace aging natural gas pipelines. It directly affects publicly owned gas systems by funding projects to reduce leaks, improve safety, and prepare for alternative energy transport. Grants can cover pipeline repairs, equipment purchases, and must prioritize job creation and benefits for disadvantaged communities. The bill authorizes $200 million annually (2026-2029) from general revenues, with limits on funding per utility and strict requirements for civil rights and environmental compliance.
This bill makes the Environmental Protection Agency's existing April 2024 rule on PFAS limits in drinking water legally binding. It codifies the EPA's "PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation" (89 Fed. Reg. 32532), which sets enforceable limits for specific PFAS chemicals in public water systems. The rule directly affects municipal water providers and communities relying on public water sources by requiring them to meet these new contaminant standards. The bill does not create new standards but formally adopts the EPA's previously issued rule into law.
HR 3862, the Clean Water SRF Parity Act of 2025, expands eligibility for Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) assistance to include qualified nonprofit entities and privately owned treatment works operators. The bill adds provisions allowing nonprofits to receive SRF funds for constructing, acquiring, or improving treatment works, and creates a new section (l) for privately owned treatment works to access funds for upgrades, water conservation, energy efficiency, security measures, and other specified activities. Crucially, it requires that financial assistance for private operators must primarily benefit the end-users served by the treatment works, not the shareholders or owners. This directly affects nonprofits managing water infrastructure and private utility companies operating treatment facilities, ensuring SRF funds support community water needs under defined conditions.
