H.R. 9690: Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act

This bill would expand federal help for water system emergencies in two main ways: drinking water and wastewater.

Drinking water emergencies

The bill would change the Safe Drinking Water Act to make federal emergency assistance more flexible when a drinking water system is in trouble. It would allow the Environmental Protection Agency to consider not only whether an action should be taken, but also whether it would be economically feasible for ratepayers. In other words, the EPA could take into account whether a solution would be too expensive for customers paying water bills.

It would also increase the amount of money Congress authorizes for this kind of emergency technical assistance, raising it from $35 million per year for fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to $50 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

Wastewater and sewer system emergencies

The bill would add a new section to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act allowing the EPA to provide technical assistance and grants to states or publicly owned treatment works, such as wastewater treatment plants, when there is an emergency affecting those systems. This would include emergencies caused by cybersecurity incidents as well as other situations that pose a substantial danger to public health, such as sewer overflows that increase exposure to contaminants.

Grants under this section could only be used for activities that:

• are needed to prevent, reduce, or lessen a public health danger during the emergency; and
• would not likely be done, or would not be affordable for ratepayers, without the grant.

The bill would also let the EPA run this new program through other existing environmental emergency assistance programs, and it would say that normal funding limits on those other programs would not apply to money used under this new authority.

For this wastewater emergency grant program, the bill authorizes $50 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

Overall effect

In practical terms, the bill would give the federal government more authority and funding to help water systems respond to urgent problems that could threaten public health. It is aimed at both drinking water and wastewater systems, including situations involving contamination, sewer failures, or cyberattacks on treatment facilities.

Relevant Companies

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