Senator Pushes For Water Tech Funding

A Democratic senator has introduced legislation aimed at accelerating the development and adoption of water technology.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, introduced the Water Technology Acceleration Act this month with the aim of amending the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act “to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative water technologies.”

The legislation would create a grant program to fund public-private partnerships devoted to emerging water technologies and would require the U.S. EPA to evaluate the barriers to adoption for new water technologies. Baldwin highlighted “lead safety, phosphorus reduction, and treatment of bacteria and nitrates” as top water priorities, according to Government Technology.

Baldwin framed her bill as a way to use innovation to combat water infrastructure disasters such as the lead corrosion crisis in Flint, MI.

“The Flint water crisis, where over 8,000 children were poisoned with lead and over 100,000 Americans remain without safe drinking water, is a historic failure of government to invest in protecting a local water supply. However, Flint is not alone; there are many other communities across the United States that face serious challenges. With technological innovation, we could have better solutions to confront water problems,” Baldwin said in a statement.

Baldwin also signed onto a letter this month urging appropriators in Congress to make funding available for water infrastructure.

“In a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Senators pressed for $70 million in 2016 funding for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act,” WSLS reported.