The U.S. Senate has approved legislation to improve the quality of the nation’s water supply. The Water Resource Development Act includes funding and technical support help to rebuild the nation’s water infrastructure and protect rivers and the Great Lakes.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown says the nation has let all of its infrastructure crumble, including the water systems. He believes the Water Restoration Development Act is an important step in turning that around.
“It really is about reliable water and sewer at reasonable rates, and for development for drinking water for all that. It’s about making sure that lead contamination is taken out of the water with older pipes. It means updating and renovation so you don’t have these problems.”
The legislation also includes authorization to fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiativeat $300 million a year for five years. The House of Representatives must still approve the bill before it goes to President Obama. Brown expects that to happen in the next few weeks.
