On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris introduced new Senate legislation dubbed the Water Justice Act. It is a $250 billion plan to repair, strengthen, and detoxify our nation's tap water infrastructure. A companion bill will be introduced in the House by Michigan Democratic Reps. Dan Kildee and Brenda Lawrence.
The notion that Americans may no longer be able to fully rely on municipal water supplies—as the ongoing crisis in Flint, Michigan, has demonstrated—is an especially appalling demonstration of the dangers of shortchanging infrastructure programs in the name of austerity. The plan seeks to re-invest in water infrastructure, focusing especially on:
• $50 billion in emergency funds for at-risk communities and schools to test for, remediate, or replace contaminated water.
• $10 billion toward offsetting water bills in low-income communities.
• $20 billion toward boosting the sustainability of the U.S. water supply through conservation and recycling programs.
The majority, $170 billion, would be earmarked for Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act programs. Both have been continued targets of conservative and corporate sabotage.
In the announcing press release, Harris' team noted that "at least 40 states are anticipating water shortages" in the next five years; that over a third of American schools tested were identified as having lead-contaminated water; and that household water rates have risen 41% since 2010. It calls the current state of affairs an "ongoing drinking water crisis"; there seems little room to dispute that characterization.