President Donald Trump signed a law on Tues., Oct. 23, authorizing water resource projects and policies nationwide to be administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
According to CNN, earlier this month the bipartisan measure passed the Senate with a nearly unanimous vote, 99-1.
Back in September, Water & Wastes Digest covered the U.S. Senate and House lawmakers reaching an agreement on America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. At the time, the bipartisan legislation needed to be passed by Congress and approved by the President.
America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 authorizes federal funding for water infrastructure projects, expands the country's water storage capabilities, upgrades wastewater, drinking and irrigation systems, among other things.
The act will de-authorize $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, according to CNN. Supporters of the bill have emphasized the provision as a decrease in the federal deficit. The federal deficit rose 17% in the fiscal year 2018.
According to CNN, infrastructure has been a priority for the President. The White House announced its infrastructure plan in February.
The document lays out the President’s plan to turn $200 billion in federal money into $1.5 trillion for fixing America’s infrastructure by leveraging local and state tax dollars and private investment. According to the White House, the plan will create $1.5 trillion for repairing and upgrading the U.S. infrastructure.
However, only $200 billion would come from direct federal spending, according to CNN. The rest is coming from state and local governments. The amount is expected to match any federal allocation by a 4-to-1 ratio.