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      "id": 607498,
      "date": "2016-06-02",
      "retrieved": "2020-01-02T15:46:29.512150",
      "title": "Allocation of Wastewater Treatment Assistance: Formula and Other Changes",
      "summary": "Congress established a statutory formula governing distribution of financial aid for municipal wastewater treatment in the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972. Since then, Congress has modified the formula and incorporated other eligibility changes five times. Federal funds are provided to states through annual appropriations according to the statutory formula to assist local governments in constructing wastewater treatment projects in compliance with federal standards. The most recent formula change, enacted in 1987, continues to apply to distribution of federal grants to capitalize state revolving loan funds (SRFs) for similar activities.\nThe current state-by-state allotment is a complex formulation consisting basically of two elements, state population and \u201cneed.\u201d The latter refers to states\u2019 estimates of capital costs for wastewater projects necessary for compliance with the act. Surveys of funding needs have been done since the 1960s and became an element of distributing CWA funds in 1972. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in consultation with states has prepared 16 clean water needs surveys since then (the most recent was released in 2016) to provide information to policymakers on the nation\u2019s total funding needs, as well as needs for certain types of projects.\nThis report describes the formula and eligibility changes adopted by Congress since 1972, revealing the interplay and decisionmaking by Congress on factors to include in the formula. Two types of trends and institutional preferences can be discerned in these actions. First, there are differences over the use of \u201cneed\u201d and population factors in the allocation formula itself. Over time, the weighting and preference given to certain factors in the allocation formula have become increasingly complex and difficult to discern. Second, until recently, there was a gradual increase in restrictions on types of projects eligible for federal assistance. However, amendments adopted in 2014 expanded eligibilities, adding eligibility for such measures as water conservation, efficiency, or reuse in order to reduce demand for capacity of wastewater treatment facilities.\nCrafting an allotment formula has been one of the most controversial issues debated during past reauthorizations of the Clean Water Act. The dollars involved are significant, and considerations of \u201cwinner\u201d and \u201closer\u201d states bear heavily on discussions of policy choices reflected in alternative formulations. This is likely to be the case again, when Congress considers legislation to reauthorize the act. Because the current allocation formula is now more than 25 years old, while needs and population have changed, the issue of how to allocate state-by-state distribution of federal funds remains an important topic. In May 2016, EPA issued a report requested by Congress on the allotment of CWA water infrastructure funding. It concludes that, for the majority of states, the current allotment does not adequately reflect reported water quality needs or the most recent Census data on population. It provides several possible options to update the allotment in the future, but does not recommend or identify a preferred option.",
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      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:15:39.458798",
      "title": "Allocation of Wastewater Treatment Assistance: Formula and Other Changes",
      "summary": "Congress established a statutory formula governing distribution of financial aid for municipal wastewater treatment in the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972. Since then, Congress has modified the formula and incorporated other eligibility changes five times. Federal funds are provided to states through annual appropriations according to the statutory formula to assist local governments in constructing wastewater treatment projects in compliance with federal standards. The most recent formula change, enacted in 1987, continues to apply to distribution of federal grants to capitalize state revolving loan funds (SRFs) for similar activities.\nThe current state-by-state allotment is a complex formulation consisting basically of two elements, state population and \u201cneed.\u201d The latter refers to states\u2019 estimates of capital costs for wastewater projects necessary for compliance with the act. Surveys of funding needs have been done since the 1960s and became an element of distributing CWA funds in 1972. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in consultation with states has prepared 16 clean water needs surveys since then (the most recent was released in 2016) to provide information to policymakers on the nation\u2019s total funding needs, as well as needs for certain types of projects.\nThis report describes the formula and eligibility changes adopted by Congress since 1972, revealing the interplay and decisionmaking by Congress on factors to include in the formula. Two types of trends and institutional preferences can be discerned in these actions. First, there are differences over the use of \u201cneed\u201d and population factors in the allocation formula itself. Over time, the weighting and preference given to certain factors in the allocation formula have become increasingly complex and difficult to discern. Second, there is a gradual increase in restrictions on types of wastewater treatment projects eligible for federal assistance.\nCrafting an allotment formula has been one of the most controversial issues debated during past reauthorizations of the Clean Water Act. The dollars involved are significant, and considerations of \u201cwinner\u201d and \u201closer\u201d states bear heavily on discussions of policy choices reflected in alternative formulations. This is likely to be the case again, when Congress considers legislation to reauthorize the act. Because the current allocation formula is now more than 25 years old, while needs and population have changed, the issue of how to allocate state-by-state distribution of federal funds remains an important topic.",
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      "id": "RL31073_2015Apr15",
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      "id": "RL31073_2008Nov17",
      "date": "2008-11-17",
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      "title": "Allocation of Wastewater Treatment Assistance: Formula and Other Changes",
      "summary": "This report describes the formula and eligibility changes adopted by Congress since 1972 related to the allocation of wastewater treatment assistance. It focuses on the interplay and decision-making by Congress on factors to include in the formula.",
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          "id": "Water allocation (Policy)",
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          "id": "Water resources",
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