H.R. 4879: Emergency Rural Water Response Act of 2025

The Emergency Rural Water Response Act of 2025 aims to enhance support for rural communities facing water emergencies. The bill proposes several key changes to existing laws related to water infrastructure and emergency assistance.

Changes to Emergency Water Assistance Program

The bill seeks to amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act by expanding the eligibility for grants that provide emergency water assistance. Specifically, it includes the following adjustments:

• It redefines and broadens the types of projects that qualify for funding to include facilities related to potable water, wastewater, storm drainage, and solid waste.
• The threshold for the population size of applicants who can receive assistance through this grant program is increased from 10,000 to 35,000. This change allows more communities to potentially receive funding and support in emergency situations.

Permit Exemptions for Emergency Water Treatment

The bill also introduces provisions to streamline the process for emergency responses in water treatment. Under this section:

• There will be an exemption from permitting requirements for portable water treatment and filtration facilities during the six months following a declared disaster or emergency.
• This exemption applies to discharges from these facilities when they are deployed in areas affected by the emergency to provide necessary clean water to residents.

Overall, the intent of the Emergency Rural Water Response Act of 2025 is to ensure that rural communities have better access to emergency water resources and infrastructure support, especially during times of crisis.

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