The House recently approved a bill that would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to include an additional $22.5 billion for water infrastructure. The HR 2 “Moving Forward Act” would distribute funds annually at $4.5 billion per year until 2025. The amendment seeks to address aging pipes with dangerous amounts of lead that contaminates lines over time. The national priority would be toward communities of color who are especially exposed to environmental pollution.

Twenty-three environmental advocacy groups supported the bill and wrote a joint letter to Congress urging the bill’s passage. In the letter, they stated: “These provisions will help eliminate water inequalities, spur economic recovery and growth, and build strong, resilient communities.”

RCAC is an active participant in the fight for safe drinking water in the rural West, recently completing the first of many projects under the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Drinking Water for Schools (DWFS) grant. RCAC provided technical assistance to the Round Valley Unified School District in Covelo, California. The DWFS grant is itself a product of RCAC and partners’ advocacy work. You can learn more about RCAC’s work in safe drinking water here.

You can read the letter from the advocacy groups here: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/letter-support-moving-forward-act-20200629.pdf

You can read more about the passage of HR 2 here: https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063471317