S1730-119

1. Short title; table of contents This Act may be cited as the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2025. The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

2. Definition of Administrator In this Act, the term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

4. Report on affordability, discrimination and civil rights violations, public participation in regionalization, and data collection The Administrator shall conduct a study on water and sewer services in accordance with this subsection. In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall study water affordability across the United States, including— rates for water and sewer services, increases in those rates during the 10-year period preceding the study, and water service disconnections due to unpaid water service charges; and the effectiveness of funding under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) and under title VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.) for promoting affordable, equitable, transparent, and reliable water and sewer service. In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the Administrator, in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, shall study— discriminatory practices of water and sewer service providers; discriminatory practices of State program administrators in allocating funding; and violations by those service providers and program administrators that receive Federal assistance of civil rights under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) with respect to equal access to water and sewer services. In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall evaluate efforts to regionalize public water systems (as defined in section 1401 of the Safe Water Drinking Act (42 U.S.C. 300f)) and sewer services with respect to public participation in— the decision to undergo that regionalization; and decisionmaking by the board of directors (or other governing body) of the entity that provides, or oversees or coordinates the provision of, water by the public water systems subject to such regionalization. In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall collect information, assess the availability of information, and evaluate the methodologies used to collect information with respect to— people living without water or sewer services; water service disconnections due to unpaid water service charges, including disconnections experienced by households containing children, elderly persons, disabled persons, chronically ill persons, or other vulnerable populations; tax liens and foreclosures due to unpaid water service charges; and disparate effects, on the basis of race, gender, or socioeconomic status, of water service disconnections, tax liens and foreclosures due to unpaid water service charges, and the lack of public water service. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that contains— the results of the study conducted under subsection (a)(1); and recommendations for utility companies, Federal agencies, and States relating to those results.

5. Use of State revolving funds under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Section 602(b) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1382(b)) is amended— in paragraph (2), by striking which will be made to the State with funds to be made available and inserting that were made to the State with funds made available for fiscal year 2021; in paragraph (13)(B)(iii), by striking and at the end; in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and by adding at the end the following: the State will not provide financial assistance using amounts from the fund for any project that will provide substantial direct benefits to new communities, lots, or subdivisions, other than a project to construct an advanced decentralized wastewater system; and Section 603(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383(c)) is amended— in paragraph (11)(B), by striking and at the end; in paragraph (12)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and by adding at the end the following: to any municipality or intermunicipal, interstate, or State agency for— purchasing from a willing or unwilling seller a privately owned treatment works; and expenses related to canceling a contract for the operation or management of a publicly owned treatment works. Section 603(i)(3) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383(i)(3)) is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following: To the extent that there are sufficient applications, a State shall use not less than 50 percent of the total amount received by the State in capitalization grants under this title for a fiscal year for providing additional subsidization under this subsection. (15) the State will not provide financial assistance using amounts from the fund for any project that will provide substantial direct benefits to new communities, lots, or subdivisions, other than a project to construct an advanced decentralized wastewater system; and . (13) to any municipality or intermunicipal, interstate, or State agency for— (A) purchasing from a willing or unwilling seller a privately owned treatment works; and (B) expenses related to canceling a contract for the operation or management of a publicly owned treatment works. . (B) Requirement To the extent that there are sufficient applications, a State shall use not less than 50 percent of the total amount received by the State in capitalization grants under this title for a fiscal year for providing additional subsidization under this subsection. .

6. Use of State revolving loan funds under the Safe Drinking Water Act Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) is amended— in subsection (a)— in paragraph (2)— in subparagraph (A), by inserting publicly owned, operated, and managed before community water systems; and by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following: The funds under this section may be used— to purchase from a willing or unwilling seller a privately owned community water system; and for expenses related to canceling a contract for the operation or management of a community water system. by adding at the end the following: Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(A), public water systems that regularly serve fewer than 10,000 persons and which are not owned, operated, or managed by any person who owns, operates, or manages any other public water system may receive assistance under this section. in subsection (d), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: To the extent that there are sufficient applications for loans to communities described in paragraph (1), of the amount of the capitalization grant received by a State in a fiscal year, the total amount of loan subsidies made by the State in the fiscal year pursuant to paragraph (1) may not be less than 50 percent. in subsection (e), by striking to be made to the State and inserting that was made to the State in fiscal year 2021; in subsection (g)(3)— by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and indenting appropriately; in the undesignated matter following clause (iii) (as so redesignated), by striking The guidance and regulations shall also and inserting the following: The guidance and regulations required under subparagraph (A) shall in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking The Administrator and inserting the following: The Administrator in subparagraph (A) (as so designated)— in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by striking and at the end; in clause (iii) (as so redesignated), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and by inserting after clause (iii) the following: guidance to ensure affordable, equitable, transparent and reliable water service provision, to provide protections for households facing service disconnection due to unpaid water service charges, and to promote universal equal access to water services. in subsection (k)(1), by adding at the end the following: Provide assistance in the form of a grant to publicly owned, operated, and managed community water systems for the purpose of replacing lead service lines (as defined in section 1459B(a)) on private or public property with copper service lines that are lead free (as defined in section 1417(d)(1)) at no cost to the owner of the property. Provide assistance to a publicly owned, operated, and managed community water system for the purpose of updating treatment plants or switching water sources due to contamination from a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance that contains at least 1 fully fluorinated carbon atom. Provide assistance in the form of a grant to owners of a household water well that has been contaminated by a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance that contains at least 1 fully fluorinated carbon atom for the purpose of purchasing and installing a household filtration system. (E) Acquisition of privately owned community water systems The funds under this section may be used— (i) to purchase from a willing or unwilling seller a privately owned community water system; and (ii) for expenses related to canceling a contract for the operation or management of a community water system. ; and (6) Exception to public ownership, operation, and management requirement Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(A), public water systems that regularly serve fewer than 10,000 persons and which are not owned, operated, or managed by any person who owns, operates, or manages any other public water system may receive assistance under this section. ; (2) Requirement To the extent that there are sufficient applications for loans to communities described in paragraph (1), of the amount of the capitalization grant received by a State in a fiscal year, the total amount of loan subsidies made by the State in the fiscal year pursuant to paragraph (1) may not be less than 50 percent. ; (B) Generally accepted accounting standards The guidance and regulations required under subparagraph (A) shall ; (A) In general The Administrator ; and (iv) guidance to ensure affordable, equitable, transparent and reliable water service provision, to provide protections for households facing service disconnection due to unpaid water service charges, and to promote universal equal access to water services. ; and (E) Provide assistance in the form of a grant to publicly owned, operated, and managed community water systems for the purpose of replacing lead service lines (as defined in section 1459B(a)) on private or public property with copper service lines that are lead free (as defined in section 1417(d)(1)) at no cost to the owner of the property. (F) Provide assistance to a publicly owned, operated, and managed community water system for the purpose of updating treatment plants or switching water sources due to contamination from a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance that contains at least 1 fully fluorinated carbon atom. (G) Provide assistance in the form of a grant to owners of a household water well that has been contaminated by a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance that contains at least 1 fully fluorinated carbon atom for the purpose of purchasing and installing a household filtration system. .

7. Drinking water grant programs Section 1465 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–25) is amended— in the section heading, by striking fountain and inserting infrastructure; in subsection (a), by striking fountains manufactured prior to 1988 and inserting infrastructure; and by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: Funds awarded under the grant program may be used to pay costs associated with— installing, repairing, or replacing the infrastructure necessary to ensure that drinking water fountains, drinking water coolers, and bottle filling stations at schools are lead free (as defined in section 1417(d)(1)); and monitoring and reporting of lead levels in the drinking water of schools, as determined appropriate by the Administrator. Section 1452(i)(1) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(i)(1)) is amended, in the first sentence— by striking 1 1/2 and inserting 3; and by striking may and inserting shall. (b) Use of funds Funds awarded under the grant program may be used to pay costs associated with— (1) installing, repairing, or replacing the infrastructure necessary to ensure that drinking water fountains, drinking water coolers, and bottle filling stations at schools are lead free (as defined in section 1417(d)(1)); and (2) monitoring and reporting of lead levels in the drinking water of schools, as determined appropriate by the Administrator. .

8. Labor provisions Nothing in this Act or an amendment made by this Act shall affect the applicability of the requirements relating to labor standards of sections 513 and 602(b)(6) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1372, 1382(b)(6)) and section 1450(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–9(e)) to projects carried out under those Acts. Section 602(b) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1382(b)) (as amended by section 5(a)), is amended by adding at the end the following: the State will— permit recipients of assistance under this title to enter into agreements authorized under section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(f)) (commonly known as project labor agreements) with respect to projects for building or construction carried out with that assistance; and ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, recipients of assistance under this title carry out those projects through the use of those agreements. Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) is amended— in subsection (a) (as amended by section 6(1)(B)), by adding at the end the following: Each agreement under this subsection shall require that the State permit recipients of assistance under this section to enter into agreements authorized under section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(f)) (commonly known as project labor agreements) with respect to projects for building or construction carried out with that assistance. in subsection (b)(3)(A)— in clause (ii), by striking and at the end; in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and by adding at the end the following: with respect to projects for building or construction, will be carried out through the use of agreements authorized under section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(f)) (commonly known as project labor agreements). (16) the State will— (A) permit recipients of assistance under this title to enter into agreements authorized under section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(f)) (commonly known as project labor agreements) with respect to projects for building or construction carried out with that assistance; and (B) ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, recipients of assistance under this title carry out those projects through the use of those agreements. . (7) Project labor agreements Each agreement under this subsection shall require that the State permit recipients of assistance under this section to enter into agreements authorized under section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(f)) (commonly known as project labor agreements) with respect to projects for building or construction carried out with that assistance. ; and (iv) with respect to projects for building or construction, will be carried out through the use of agreements authorized under section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(f)) (commonly known as project labor agreements). .

9. Drinking water assistance to colonias Section 1456 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–16) is amended— in subsection (a)— by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: The term covered entity means each of the following: A border State. A local government with jurisdiction over an eligible community. in subsection (b)— by striking of the Environmental Protection Agency; and by striking border State and inserting covered entity; by striking subsection (d); and by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d). (2) Covered entity The term covered entity means each of the following: (A) A border State. (B) A local government with jurisdiction over an eligible community. ;