Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act

This bill, known as the Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act, aims to enhance federal support for water infrastructure emergencies by amending both the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Its primary goal is to reauthorize and increase funding for emergency technical assistance related to drinking water systems. Additionally, it establishes new provisions for emergency aid to wastewater treatment facilities, addressing a broader range of potential crises. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the bill raises the authorized appropriations for emergency situations from $35 million to $50 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. A key amendment clarifies that assistance can be provided when necessary actions would not be taken or would not be economically feasible for ratepayers , broadening the scope of eligible situations for federal aid. Furthermore, the bill introduces a new section to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, authorizing the Administrator to provide emergency technical assistance and grants to states or publicly owned treatment works. This new authority addresses emergency situations affecting wastewater treatment works, explicitly including those resulting from cybersecurity events , which pose a substantial danger to public health, such as heightened exposure to contaminants from sewer overflows, thereby expanding federal emergency response capabilities to a critical area. Grants under this new program are intended for activities essential to preventing, limiting, or mitigating public health dangers that would otherwise be economically unfeasible for ratepayers. The bill authorizes $50 million annually for this wastewater emergency assistance for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, allowing for coordination with other environmental emergency programs while ensuring these new funds are not subject to existing program limitations, providing flexible and substantial support.