{ "id": "RL31116", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL31116", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 415759, "date": "2012-12-28", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T21:31:52.271925", "title": "Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues", "summary": "Policymakers are giving increased attention to issues associated with financing and investing in the nation\u2019s drinking water and wastewater treatment systems, which take in water, treat it, and distribute it to households and other customers, and later collect, treat, and discharge water after use. The renewed attention is due to a combination of factors. These include financial impacts on communities of meeting existing and anticipated regulatory requirements, the need to repair and replace existing infrastructure, concerns about paying for security-related projects, and proposals to stimulate U.S. economic activity by building and rebuilding the nation\u2019s infrastructure.\nThe federal government has a long history of involvement with wastewater and drinking water systems, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) having the most significant role, both in terms of regulation and funding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also plays an important role in rural communities through its water and wastewater loan and grant programs. These programs have been popular; however, states, local communities, and others have asserted that program gaps and limitations may diminish their potential effectiveness. They also point to the emergence of new infrastructure needs and issues, while federal resources for these programs have declined.\nReports on infrastructure funding needs and related policy issues have been issued by interest groups, EPA, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). They present a range of estimates and scenarios of future investment costs and gaps between current spending and future costs. EPA and CBO, in particular, caution that projections of future costs are highly uncertain, and that funding gaps are not inevitable. Increased investment, sought by many stakeholders, is one way to shrink the spending gaps, but so, too, are other strategies such as asset management, more efficient pricing, and better technology.\nCongressional interest in these issues has grown for some time. In each Congress since the 107th, House and Senate committees acted on legislation to reauthorize and modify infrastructure financing programs in the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, but no bills other than appropriations were enacted. EPA\u2019s recent initiatives support strategies intended to ensure that infrastructure investment needs are met in an efficient, timely, and equitable manner. The Obama Administration has focused attention on providing increased federal budgetary resources for water infrastructure investments and on encouraging sustainable water infrastructure policies.\nThis report identifies issues that continue to receive attention in connection with water infrastructure investment. It begins with a review of federal involvement; describes the debate about needs; and then examines key issues, including what is the nature of the problems to be solved, who will pay, what is the federal role, and questions about mechanisms for delivering federal support. Congressional and Administration activity on these issues since the 107th Congress also is briefly reviewed.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL31116", "sha1": "8a3cf296878623197e6bd1c5e30d2b753d87f4de", "filename": "files/20121228_RL31116_8a3cf296878623197e6bd1c5e30d2b753d87f4de.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL31116", "sha1": "3d3595e7554a0ec2dcad90aca2ad3fd29af9d2d9", "filename": "files/20121228_RL31116_3d3595e7554a0ec2dcad90aca2ad3fd29af9d2d9.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 2647, "name": "Water Quality Protection" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491249/", "id": "RL31116_2010Dec21", "date": "2010-12-21", "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46", "title": "Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues", "summary": "This report identifies a number of issues receiving attention in connection with water infrastructure. It begins with a brief review of federal involvement, describes the debate about funding needs, and then examines key issues, including what is the nature of the problems to be solved; who will pay, and what is the federal role; and questions about mechanisms for delivering federal support, including state-by-state allotment. Recent congressional and Administration activity on these issues also is reviewed.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20101221_RL31116_5b0077bd92bd41ca195fedfe61d03b6be0b44a1c.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20101221_RL31116_5b0077bd92bd41ca195fedfe61d03b6be0b44a1c.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Water allocation (Policy)", "name": "Water allocation (Policy)" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Potable water", "name": "Potable water" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Waste water", "name": "Waste water" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Water supply", "name": "Water supply" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Infrastructure", "name": "Infrastructure" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc462593/", "id": "RL31116_2008Nov24", "date": "2008-11-24", "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41", "title": "Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues", "summary": "This report identifies a number of issues that have received attention in connection with water infrastructure investment. It begins with a review of federal involvement, describes the debate about needs, and then examines key issues, including what is the nature of the problems to be solved; who will pay, and what is the federal role; and questions about mechanisms for delivering federal support, including state-by-state allotment of federal funds. Congressional and Administration activity on these issues from the 107th to the 110th Congresses also is reviewed.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20081124_RL31116_cd2b15e7b9ad504c9a5ac72e205097d033150da3.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20081124_RL31116_cd2b15e7b9ad504c9a5ac72e205097d033150da3.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Infrastructure", "name": "Infrastructure" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Water allocation (Policy)", "name": "Water allocation (Policy)" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Sanitary engineering", "name": "Sanitary engineering" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Water supply", "name": "Water supply" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Water purification", "name": "Water purification" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Water treatment plants", "name": "Water treatment plants" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Solid wastes", "name": "Solid wastes" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Water resources", "name": "Water resources" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc809728/", "id": "RL31116_2008Aug25", "date": "2008-08-25", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080825_RL31116_e83c609e9cc877babcc72f630ae411edc23832b9.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080825_RL31116_e83c609e9cc877babcc72f630ae411edc23832b9.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc820068/", "id": "RL31116_2008Jan23", "date": "2008-01-23", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and 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