America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018—legislation that was supported by the Irrigation Association (IA)—was signed into law on Oct. 23
Included in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 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, according to IA.
“We are excited to see the WaterSense program now authorized by Congress,” said IA Government and Public Affairs Director John Farner. “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, the bill:
- Expands water storage capabilities;
- Removes “pilot” designation from and reauthorizes the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program for two years at $50 million per year; and
- Authorizes federal funding for water infrastructure projects, which leverages billions in water infrastructure spending.
“The IA thanks congressional leadership for spearheading this strong bipartisan legislation focused on our nation’s water resources,” Farner said. “We look forward to these programs being implemented and creating real results for our nation’s aging water infrastructure.”
The IA stands committed to work with Congress and the administration to continue this momentum and work together to pass other legislative priorities, including the Farm Bill, IA said.
