A Potential Boon for the Plumbing/PVF Industry
ASA last month issued a statement to the lawmakers who are drafting legislation soon to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, encouraging them to support the passage of the Clean Water Trust Act of 2005.If enacted, the legislation will assure a dedicated funding source for the construction and rehabilitation of wastewater plants, expand eligibility under the Clean Water Act to use SRF funds for water conservation measures, including replacement of fixtures; expand eligibility under the Clean Water Act to use SRF funds for piping of irrigation canals; and authorize funding to help small rural water systems to maintain and upgrade their wastewater systems.
Should the legislation pass Congress, the infrastructure projects of this magnitude carry significant economic opportunity for the PHCP/PVF industry, leading ASA to become a very active member of the WIN (Water Infrastructure Network) coalition.
How Will it Be Funded?
The Act creates a new federal trust fund (the Clean Water Trust Fund) to provide an assured source of funding to meet the nation's water infrastructure needs for wastewater. It's proposed to be funded at $36.75 billion over five years. It establishes a dedicated revenue source for the Trust Fund consisting of an excise tax on flushable products and a reinstatement of the Corporate Environmental Income Tax.
In its statement in support of the Clean Water Act, ASA stipulated that it opposes the reinstatement of the Corporate Environmental Income Tax, urging sponsors of the bill to look at alternative funding sources that are user-fee based.
ASA members are urged to watch their monthly “Washington Update” electronic newsletters for updates on this measure.
