American Water Works Association (AWWA) former President John Donahue encouraged members of Congress to make renewing water infrastructure a top priority in the United States. Testifying before the US House Subcommittee on the Environment, he presented AWWA’s recommendations about the nation’s water infrastructure, cybersecurity, source water protection, the energy-water nexus, affordability and the importance of sound science and transparency to guide regulatory actions.
Speaking on behalf of AWWA’s 50,000 members, Donahue called the committee’s attention to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) as a key new tool in fixing and expanding the nation’s aging water infrastructure. WIFIA lowers the cost of large water infrastructure projects by providing low-interest, long-term federal loans to communities. Donahue urged Congress to fund the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund at least at $1.8 billion, eliminate the volume cap on private-activity bonds and preserve the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds. These are all lower-cost financing options utilities rely on to fund local water infrastructure projects outside of WIFIA. For details on AWWA’s recommendations, click here.