Rep. Rouzer reintroduces bill to fund water testing, filtration systems

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WECT) - Reps. David Rouzer (NC-07) and Chellie Pingree (ME-01) reintroduced the Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 22. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

Also known as the Healthy H2O Act, the bill would provide grants for water testing and the purchase and installation of systems to reduce contaminants. These would be provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to people and non-profits, helping them through the process of testing and then installing water treatment products.

The bill would also assist rural homeowners, renters, small business owners, licensed child-care facilities and nonprofits that can help in water testing and be an educational resource.

The USDA would be required to publish annual reports on the technology available and bought by grant recipients, trends in actions taken to improve water quality and recommendations on increasing the use of treatment.

“I am pleased to announce we are introducing this legislation again. If enacted into law, this bill would help nonprofits and those with private wells identify health-based contaminants, such as GenX chemicals, as well as other PFAS and PFOS compounds,” said Rouzer in a press release.

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