On Oct. 23, President Trump signed the Water Resources Development Act which includes language officially authorizing the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense program in perpetuity.
According to a press release from IAPMO, “Passage of S. 3021 statutorily imbeds the WaterSense program into U.S. law, shielding it from Executive action by requiring any future changes be made via an act of Congress.”
“In the past, the entire industry lived under the constant threat of WaterSense being eliminated,” said Dain Hansen, IAPMO senior vice president of Government Affairs. “Fortunately, those days are now gone — we can now expect continued water savings, manufacturers and businesses can plan their future strategy with certainty, and the general public will know the label they have come to trust is here to stay. We applaud the efforts of congressional leaders from the House and Senate for codifying WaterSense.”
Since WaterSense’s inception in 2006, the program has helped saved consumers more than $33 billion in water and energy bills. It is widely supported throughout the industry and had enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington during its existence.
Update:
President Trump signed a law last week which authorizes water resource projects and policies nationwide to be administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The bipartisan measure passed the Senate earlier this month with a nearly unanimous vote — 99-1. The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 will, among other provisions, authorize federal funding for water infrastructure projects, expand the country's water storage capabilities, upgrade wastewater, drinking and irrigation systems, as well as authorize or reauthorize water infrastructure projects and programs.
The act will also deauthorize $4 billion in water resources development projects that Congress deems are no longer viable for construction due to a lack of local support, a lack of resources or when they deem that the project is no longer relevant or feasible.
For more information and the 53-page document of the President’s infrastructure vision, read here.
