WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives has approved its long-talked about bipartisan legislation to enhance security at water supply or wastewater treatment systems.
The Water Infrastructure Security and Research Development (WISARD) Act, HR. 3178, was passed Tuesday, 18 December. It was introduced by Sherwood Boehlert, R-NY, and Brian Baird, D-WA. The $109 million package includes $12 million per year for five years to fund research, development and demonstration projects that increase security of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and certain source waters and associated facilities.
"Fences, guard dogs and bottled water are not a sustainable approach to water infrastructure security," said Boehlert. "That's why my colleagues and I, with the help and support of water management agencies, state and local officials, engineering companies, and experts in the scientific community, introduced and advanced this legislation."
He said it is "an important first step in ensuring that we have the research and development our country needs to combat biological, chemical, physical, and cyber threats today, tomorrow and into the future. It focuses on not just short-term research needs, but also on intermediate- and long-term needs."
Boehlert and Baird introduced HR. 3178 on 30 October, and the Science Committee approved it on 15 November. The companion Senate legislation, S. 1593, has not yet been adopted. It was introduced by Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman James Jeffords, I-VT, and was voted out of that committee in early November.
Both bills would authorize $12 million per year for the US Environmental Protection Agency to provide research grants on how to prevent, detect or respond to physical and cyber threats to our nation's water supply infrastructure, House officials said.
"The bipartisan Drinking Water Safety bill will fill a dangerous gap in existing research on our drinking water infrastructure,´ said Baird. "Recent months have taught us that systems, which we take for granted, can be used by terrorists to harm us. This bill provides funds for top people and companies to find new ways to protect our drinking water."
The legislation has the support of the National Association of Counties, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Water Environment Foundation, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Water Works Research Foundation, the Association of California Water Agencies, the American Water Works Association, and the National Association of Water Companies.
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