U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act of 2006. Reauthorization would include an authorization to the Bureau of Reclamation to undertake the design and construction of rural water supply projects, delivering potable water supplies to rural communities in western States.
Currently, large scale water projects require two types of federal authorization:
- authority for feasibility studies, and
- authority to construct projects.
In 2006, Congress authorized the Rural Water Supply Program to allow the Bureau of Reclamation to develop and recommend rural water supply projects. This program, which lapsed in 2016, replaced the process of authorizing feasibility studies on a case-by-case basis by Congress. The new legislation would reauthorize the Rural Water Supply Program for eight years.
“Renewing the Bureau of Reclamation’s authority to study and authorize rural water systems will help deliver clean water by eliminating the need to authorize each project individually. I’m pleased to introduce this legislation with Senator Klobuchar to make it easier for America’s most rural residents to access the water they need,” said Sen. Rounds.
“Rural communities have been disproportionately impacted by poor water infrastructure systems, making it increasingly difficult for them to dependably access clean potable water. We need to change that,” said Sen. Klobuchar.
The National Rural Water Association endorsed the proposed legislation.