Leading the Charge to Restore America's Failing Drinking Water Systems May 22, 2021Dear Friends,Day after day, with each new vaccinated neighbor, friend and loved one, we move closer to a world that feels almost normal. Many kids are returning to classrooms, businesses are opening closer to full capacity, and many workers are returning to in-person work. Many of those schools, office buildings and gathering places have water systems that have gone unused for more than a year. Millions of American children will return to the classroom in the coming months. Many will go to schools with lead drinking water service lines and water that may have sat for months, absorbing the deadly lead from those components.If these systems are not flushed, if this long overdue issue gets swept under the rug for yet another Congress, or another Administration, or whenever it becomes more political convenient to do our jobs, we will pay a far greater price. And our kids will continue to pay that price for the rest of their lives. Hopefully these systems are being flushed before the people—especially kids returning to school—turn on the tap and take a drink, but even then the underlying danger remains. As we turn to the work of rebuilding, we also need to rebuild our most vital infrastructure: our drinking water systems. Our communities have been hurt countless times by deteriorating water infrastructure. We will be paying a lifetime of costs from severe health and financial burdens cause by lead, PFAS and other toxins in the water, as well as the higher repair expense and disruptive costs of regular main breaks. Too many of our neighbors are already dealing with unaffordable water bills and face an imminent threat of having their water service turned off amid this prolonged crisis.In 2021, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave America’s water infrastructure a C- gradeLetting these systems collapse is costly—leaking pipes lose an estimated 6 billion gallons of clean drinking water every single dayThere are as many as 10 million lead service lines in use in America’s drinking water systemsThat includes 400,000 schools and childcare facilities with lead componentsAs many as 63 million people were exposed to unsafe water more than once in the past decadeAs an engineer and public servant, I know the pain and urgency of this issue all too well. For years now, I have pushed for legislation that helps restore our nation’s critical water infrastructure and ensure every American can use, and trust, the water coming out of our taps.I was able to push a stopgap drinking water funding bill through Congress and get it signed into law in 2017, delivering a baseline level of funding to address America’s most degraded drinking water systems. Sadly that bill was a drop in the bucket compared to our nation’s need. We must do far more, and the costs and consequences of inaction will only worsen over time. This week, I introduced a bolder new version of my AQUA Act. This new version of my longstanding drinking water legislation delivers federal investments across the nation and the levels our local communities need to address their most critical water infrastructure needs. My bill also invests in system upgrades to address PFAS and other forms of dangerous contamination and delivers a lifeline to beleaguered water utilities in return for a commitment to temporarily halt all water shutoffs for struggling customers. Last but certainly not least, my bill replaces every single one of the millions of America’s drinking water lead service lines still in use.My renewed AQUA Act delivers on President Joe Biden’s promise to remove every lead service line in the country, including removing lead from the drinking water systems of 400,000 schools and childcare centers. This legislation:Invests $105 billion over 10 years for our nation's water systems, including:$53 billion for the Drinking Water SRF$45 billion to fully replace every lead service line$5 billion to provide assistance to systems with PFAS contaminationRequires EPA to set national standards for PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, and microcystin toxin, and makes it easier for EPA to set standards in the futureAuthorizes $4 billion emergency relief program to provide forgiveness for utility customers facing debts and unpaid fees since March 1, 2020And more!We cannot afford to fail our communities any longer. My fight to pass the AQUA Act has just begun, and I will not rest until it is made law and all Americans have the confidence and peace of mind knowing that the water their children, neighbors and loved ones are drinking is clean and safe.As always, thank you for reading.Your friend, DID YOU KNOW?Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations on any and all COVID-19 related topics. With that in mind here is some information that may be of interest to you:The SBA announced this week that eligible restaurants have until Monday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET, to submit applications to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund signed into law by President Joe Biden established an initial $5 billion set-aside established by Congress for applicants with gross receipts not more than $500,000.To date, the RRF program has received more than 303,000 applications representing over $69 billion in requested funds, and nearly 38,000 applicants have been approved for more than $6 billion. Of the overall submitted applications, 57 percent came from women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged business owners.For those interested in applying to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, visit sba.gov/restaurants.