Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs (CRS Report for Congress)
Premium Purchase PDF for $24.95 (47 pages)
add to cart or
subscribe for unlimited access
Pro Premium subscribers have free access to our full library of CRS reports.
Subscribe today, or
request a demo to learn more.
| Release Date |
Revised May 3, 2019 |
| Report Number |
RL30478 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resources and Environmental Policy; Nicole T. Carter Specialist in Natural Resources Policy; Betsy A. Cody, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy; Megan Stubbs, Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resource |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium Revised April 26, 2018 (41 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised April 6, 2018 (41 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Nov. 28, 2017 (41 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Nov. 8, 2017 (41 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised March 17, 2016 (33 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised March 18, 2015 (35 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised March 19, 2010 (31 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised June 15, 2009 (32 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Aug. 26, 2008 (31 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised April 18, 2007 (31 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised March 31, 2006 (30 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised March 14, 2005 (30 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium March 25, 2003 (30 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
For more than four decades, Congress has authorized and refined several programs to help
communities address water supply and wastewater problems. The agencies that administer these
programs differ in multiple ways. In terms of funding mechanisms, projects developed by the
Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers typically require direct, individual
project authorizations from Congress.
In contrast, standing program authorizations provide project funding for other agencies, including
the Department of Agriculture (USDA),
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
the Department of Commerce, and
the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The key practical difference is that with the individual project authorizations, there is no
predictable assistance or even guarantee of funding after a project is authorized, because funding
must be secured each year in the congressional appropriations process. The programs, on the
other hand, have set program criteria, are generally funded from year to year, and provide a
process under which project sponsors compete for funding.
In terms of scope and mission, the primary responsibilities of the Corps are to maintain inland
navigation, provide for flood and storm damage reduction, and restore aquatic ecosystems, while
EPA’s mission relates to protecting public health and the environment. The Department of
Commerce and HUD focus on community and economic development. Likewise, the specific
programs—while all address water supply and wastewater treatment to some degree—differ in
important respects. Some are national in scope (those of USDA, EPA, and the Department of
Commerce, for example), while others are regionally focused (Reclamation’s programs and
projects). Some focus primarily on urban areas (HUD) and some on rural areas (USDA), and
others do not distinguish based on community size (e.g., EPA, the Corps).
Federal funding for the programs and projects discussed in this report varies greatly. Collectively,
congressional funding for these programs in recent years has been somewhat eroded by overall
competition among the many programs that are supported by discretionary spending, despite the
continuing pressure from stakeholders and others for increased funding. FY2018 appropriations
highlights include the following:
$1.163 billion for capitalization grants to states under EPA’s State Revolving
Fund (SRF) loan program for drinking water systems and $1.694 billion for
EPA’s SRF program for wastewater facilities;
$55 million in subsidy costs for the EPA-administered Water Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, allowing the agency to provide
approximately $5.5 billion in credit assistance for drinking water and wastewater
infrastructure projects;
$400 million for USDA’s rural water and waste disposal grant program and direct
loan authority of $1.2 billion;
$3.3 billion for HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds
(water and wastewater projects are among many eligible uses); and
$54.4 million for Reclamation’s Title XVI reclamation/recycling projects.
