Water Systems Council
Savings Action Plan Information
This simple law is aimed at getting information about alternative drinking water systems, including wells, to the smallest communities before they make a decision to undertake the construction or upgrade of expensive drinking water systems.
Drinking Water Infrastructure Challenge
The United States is facing a drinking water infrastructure funding crisis. “Official” EPA estimates from the Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis project a $384 Billion Shortfall in drinking water funding over next 20 years. This funding challenge is particularly acute in rural America.
Recent drinking water industry estimates (AWWA) place the funding shortfall in drinking water funding over the next two decades at Over $1 Trillion.
Annual funding gap for drinking water is nearly $20 billion while the annual Federal investment is less than $2 billion.
Now we must work together with the Implementation of the Savings Act, assisting EPA and USDA while also educating the water well industry and the public on how to leverage the Savings Act.
Water Wells are a proven cost effective solution for helping meet the needs of the nation’s water infrastructure.
The Water Well Trust has demonstrated in several states for several years that saving between 70-90% can be achieved through the Water Well Solution. These projects have been financed through combinations of state and local governments and the private sector.
Water Well Trust client, Mike Frazee, gave his Testimony at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing that focused on Innovative Financing and Funding: Addressing America’s Crumbling Water Infrastructure. Watch the complete broadcast.
The Savings Act law will create an opportunity for hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment in wells and well systems.
Savings Action Plan
- Develop a Drinking Water Technology Clearinghouse with information on the cost-effectiveness of innovative and alternative drinking water delivery systems, including wells and well systems; and disseminate such information to the public, communities, and not-for-profit organizations seeking Federal funding for drinking water delivery systems serving 500 or fewer persons.
- Provide education and outreach on the use of individual and community wells through Water System Assessment.
- Advocating at the national level.
- Report to Congress no later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act that describes the use of innovative and alternative drinking water delivery systems, cost savings, and the use of drinking water technical assistance programs operated by the EPA Administrator and the Secretary of Agriculture.
Currently WSC is building a new Decentralized Drinking Water Systems Learning Module that will be hosted on EPA’s Water Finance Clearinghouse website.
The Savings Action 3 year implementation plan will result in a flood of information never seen before from the federal government – EPA and USDA – on the cost effectiveness of the use of wells and well systems in providing safe drinking water for the 27,500 communities we are targeting, the 657,000 households living without water, to the engineers working on these projects, and to the contractors who are delivering the product.
Move it Forward
The Water Systems Council (WSC) celebrated President Trump’s signing of America’s Water Infrastructure Act into law October 24, 2018, saying that the new law is a major step toward providing all Americans with safe, clean drinking water.
The new law includes the WSC-supported Securing Required Funding for Water Infrastructure Now (SRF WIN) Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). The SRF WIN Act modernizes investment in water infrastructure by empowering states to invest in multiple water infrastructure projects.
“America’s Water Infrastructure Act is in lock step with President Trump’s vision for infrastructure,” said Senator Boozman, Chair of the Senate Fisheries, Water and Wildlife Subcommittee. “I’m particularly pleased that this bill also includes the SRF WIN Act, legislation I introduced with Senator Booker. What the SRF WIN Act does is simple: it combines the efficiency and trust associated with the State Revolving Funds with the leveraging power of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA). This legislation provides millions and potentially billions in project dollars to communities that have traditionally not had access to these types of funds.
“The Water Systems Council was an integral part of getting this legislation included in AWIA and I couldn’t have done it without their help,” Boozman continued. “I would like to thank WSC for its efforts in support of the SRF WIN Act.”
The America’s Water Infrastructure Act will:
- Significantly increase annual, federal investment on water and wastewater infrastructure from approximately $2 Billion to over $7 Billion per year.
- Dramatically improve the efficiency and timeliness of the WIFIA Loan approval process.
- Allow States to fast-track existing, approved and permitted projects with the “no new reviews” provisions.
- Safeguard existing CWA and SDWA SRF Funding from cuts — no funding for WIFIA unless existing SRFs are fully funded
The passage of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act, that includes the SRF WIN Act, will greatly increase the much needed funding for the Savings Action Plan targeted communities in need of water infrastructure.
New Steps
- WSC will also develop new marketing materials highlighting the benefits of wells and well systems for towns and rural areas that we will disseminate out to State Associations, Contractors, Distributors, and Manufacturers.
- Contractors, State Associations, and Distributors can help inform their local very small communities about the Savings Act with these marketing materials.
- Additional educational materials will be created for dissemination to Engineers.
- The passage of the Savings Act will have significant implications beyond having more wells used by small communities.
- Having EPA and USDA attest to the fact that wells are a cost effective solution for safe drinking water will also help in our fights for exempt wells and against mandatory hook ups.
The Savings Action is our opportunity to reverse the decades long downward sales trends and to actually grow the industry to new heights!
The following documents provide important background information about the Savings Act:
