What This Bill Does
This bill asks the Environmental Protection Agency to create a program that helps drinking water and wastewater systems prepare for and recover from threats. The program focuses on supporting the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which collects and analyzes information about threats to water systems.
Who It Affects
Community water systems (public water supplies that serve communities), treatment works (wastewater facilities), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
Key Provisions
• The EPA must develop and run a program to encourage water systems and treatment facilities to participate in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Sec. 2(b)(1))
• The EPA must help pay for costs that community water systems and treatment works need to keep or start membership in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Sec. 2(b)(2))
• The EPA must work more closely with the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center to collect and study data about threats to water systems (Sec. 2(b)(3))
• The EPA must improve the tools and resources of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center to help water systems prepare for, identify, protect against, detect, respond to and recover from harmful attacks or natural disasters (Sec. 2(b)(4))
What Changes
The EPA will establish a new program with specific duties related to water system threat preparedness. Water systems may receive financial support to participate in information sharing about security threats.
Important Definitions
Community water system: A public water supply system; Treatment works: Wastewater facilities; Natural hazard: A naturally occurring dangerous event; Malevolent acts: Intentional harmful actions.
Effective Date
The EPA must develop and carry out this program no later than one year after the bill becomes law (Sec. 2(b)).
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 660
To establish a program to increase drinking water and wastewater system
threat preparedness and resilience, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 6, 2023
Mr. MARKEY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
A BILL
To establish a program to increase drinking water and waste-
water system threat preparedness and resilience, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Water System Threat
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Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.
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(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) COMMUNITY
WATER
SYSTEM.—The term
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‘‘community water system’’ has the meaning given
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the term in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water
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Act (42 U.S.C. 300f).
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(2) NATURAL
HAZARD.—The term ‘‘natural
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hazard’’ has the meaning given the term in section
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1433(h) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C.
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300i–2(h)).
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(3) TREATMENT WORKS.—The term ‘‘treatment
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works’’ has the meaning given the term in section
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212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
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U.S.C. 1292).
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(4) WATER INFORMATION SHARING AND ANAL-
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YSIS CENTER.—The term ‘‘Water Information Shar-
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ing and Analysis Center’’ means the Information
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Sharing and Analysis Center referenced in section
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1435(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C.
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300i–4(d)).
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(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after
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the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of
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the Environmental Protection Agency shall develop and
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carry out a program—
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(1) to encourage, support, and maintain the
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participation of community water systems, treatment
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works, and other appropriate entities in the Water
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Information Sharing and Analysis Center;
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•S 660 IS
(2) to offset costs incurred by community water
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systems and treatment works that are necessary to
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maintain or initiate membership in the Water Infor-
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mation Sharing and Analysis Center;
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(3) to expand the cooperation and coordination
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of the Environmental Protection Agency with the
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Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center
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with respect to incident data collection and analysis
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of water sector-related threats; and
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(4) to enhance the tools, resources, and mate-
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rials of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis
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Center for—
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(A) monitoring the status of the water sec-
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tor; and
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(B) enhancing the preparedness of commu-
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nity water systems and publicly owned treat-
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ment works to identify, protect against, detect,
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respond to, and recover from malevolent acts
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(within the meaning of section 1433 of the Safe
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Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i–2)) or
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natural hazards.
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(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
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authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
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$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025, to
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remain available until expended.
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Æ
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