In Letter To Congress, Water Agencies Call For Drinking Water Relief Funding

Commentary

In March, the COVID-19 relief bill known as the CARES Act set aside $900 million to help Americans pay their utility bills. Earlier this week, a broad coalition of water agencies delivered a letter to Congress advocating for more funding. The letter, submitted Monday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other California Congressional delegates , argues that billions of federal dollars are still needed for water infrastructure maintenance and assistance with water bills. The 70 groups that penned the letter are urging legislators to support the HEROES Act, a COVID-19 relief bill currently in the Senate that sets aside $1.5 billion for water bill assistance. They’re also calling for $4 billion in EPA grants to help households pay for water and wastewater service, $100 billion over five years for states’ drinking water revolving funds, emergency funding for water utilities in disadvantaged communities, and a moratorium on water shutoffs until after the COVID