Congress urged to utilize water wells in infrastructure bills

The National Ground Water Association and 18 state groundwater associations have sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to consider utilizing water wells in any future infrastructure legislation. The letter outlines the important role water wells play in U.S. infrastructure and their ability to efficiently provide safe and clean water to rural and underserved areas.

Nationally, it is estimated that more than 40 million people depend on water wells as their primary source of clean water. Most of these water wells are located in small, rural and oftentimes disadvantaged communities. While current infrastructure legislation proposes increased funding for small and rural public water systems, connecting to these systems is often expensive for both the community and homeowner.

As an initial proposal to increase water quality and access, NGWA is urging Congress to expand grant eligibility within the Safe Drinking Water Act to fund the rehabilitation, deepening, or replacement of water wells in small and disadvantaged communities.

Drawing from recent research, the letter details how expanding funding for water well infrastructure will potentially save homeowners and communities millions of dollars by opting out of costly connections to public water systems. NGWA says these efforts will also provide more options for homeowners on how to source and manage their water supply.

“Increased funding for our nation’s water infrastructure has almost unanimous bi-partisan support in Congress because it impacts every citizen and community,” said NGWA CEO Terry S. Morse, CAE, CIE. “By properly utilizing and supporting water wells within future infrastructure bills, we will greatly increase the amount of people served in small and rural communities while at the same saving federal dollars. We see this as an extraordinary opportunity, and we hope our leaders in Washington agree.”

As a part of its ongoing advocacy efforts, NGWA recently launched its new online public policy platform, SmartWaterPolicies.com. The site will serve as a one-stop resource for lawmakers, researchers, and water industry professionals to access NGWA white papers, policy positions, and tools to contact their elected representatives.