New water infrastructure bill signed into law

FAIRFAX, Va. — America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 was signed into law on Oct. 23, and the legislation includes many provisions backed by the Irrigation Association over the past few years.

Included in the act is the congressional authorization of the WaterSense program. A priority of the IA, this issue was a top focus during legislative fly-ins and grassroots advocacy efforts.

“We are excited to see the WaterSense program now authorized by Congress,” says John Farner, the IA government and public affairs director. “The IA’s membership, along with our coalition partners, should be commended, as years of advocacy efforts have culminated in legislation that is signed by the president. We now look forward to working with elected officials to ensure WaterSense remains a strong, market-enhancement program for water-efficient technologies and services.”

In addition to authorizing the WaterSense program, America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 expands water storage capabilities and authorizes federal funding for water infrastructure projects, which leverages billions in water infrastructure spending. It also removes “pilot” designation from and reauthorizes the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program for two years at $50 million per year.

“The IA thanks congressional leadership for spearheading this strong bipartisan legislation focused on our nation’s water resources,” Farner says. “We look forward to these programs being implemented and creating real results for our nation’s aging water infrastructure."