HR4721-119

What This Bill Does

The Healthy H2O Act creates a Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Assistance Program in the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. Congress identifies drinking-water problems in communities relying on private groundwater or challenged public supplies, including lead, arsenic, nitrate, nitrite, volatile organic compounds, PFAS, hexavalent chromium, pathogens, and other contaminants. USDA must issue regulations within 120 days and run grants for eligible end users in rural areas, including homeowners, renters, small multi-unit property owners with 25 or fewer units, licensed child-care facilities, and owned, leased, or rented facilities with a finding of need from a qualified water-quality test or other USDA-approved documentation. Grants may pay for certified point-of-use or point-of-entry treatment systems, replacement certified filter components, approved installation by qualified third-party installers, approved maintenance, and qualified water-quality tests. Nonprofit grantees may offer voluntary testing, help analyze results, help end users select response options, and coordinate installation. Grants cannot assist households or business end users above 150 percent of the state or territory median nonmetropolitan household income. USDA must appoint a grant administrator, allocate funds to respond to a range of water-quality challenges, prioritize private wells, build local and regional capacity, and ensure reasonable access for end users and nonprofits. Annual public reports must identify barriers to safe drinking water, analyze contamination sources and trends, evaluate technologies purchased, assess emerging needs, and recommend ways to increase access. The bill authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

Who Benefits and How

Rural homeowners benefit from grants for certified drinking-water filters, installation, maintenance, and testing when contaminants are documented. Renters and small multifamily residents benefit if property owners or nonprofits use grants to address contaminated drinking water. Licensed child-care facilities benefit from assistance with drinking-water quality products and qualified testing. Nonprofit water-assistance organizations benefit from grants to test water, analyze results, advise end users, and coordinate installation. Private-well households benefit because USDA must prioritize sources of drinking water that are private wells.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA Secretary must issue regulations within 120 days, appoint a grant administrator, allocate funds, and publish annual reports. Eligible grant recipients must document contaminants, comply with income limits, and use certified products or qualified installers. Water treatment installers must meet credentialing, licensing, supervision, and continuing-education requirements. Federal taxpayers fund the authorized $10 million per year program for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Healthy H2O Program for rural drinking-water quality grants.
• Authorizes grants for certified point-of-use or point-of-entry systems, filter components, installation, maintenance, and testing.
• Limits end-user assistance to documented contamination and income at or below 150 percent of state nonmetropolitan median income.
• Requires USDA to prioritize private wells and build local or regional contamination-response capacity.
• Requires annual public reports on barriers to safe drinking water, technologies used, emerging needs, and access recommendations.