Water Sector News
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Springfield Water and Sewer’s Schimmel testifies in D.C. on infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WWLP) – A subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing on the “Implementation of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act: Stakeholders’ Needs and Experiences” to learn how Congress can best use the funding available in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) and Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA) bills.
Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Executive Director Josh Schimmel went before the committee Tuesday to speak on behalf of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), for which he serves on the Board of Directors.
He said the funding is needed after decades of Federal under-investment. “The historic water infrastructure investments in DWWIA and BIL offer much-needed respite to local governments working to juggle capital funding needs and ongoing operations and maintenance while keeping customer rates manageable,” said Schimmel. He also said that many water utilities, particularly those serving disadvantaged communities like Springfield, may not have the resources to access this funding otherwise without additional assistance.