Bill > HR4721

This bill establishes the Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Assistance Program, a federal grant initiative designed to help rural communities and households address drinking water quality challenges. The program will provide financial assistance for purchasing, installing, and maintaining point-of-use and point-of-entry water quality improvement products that can reduce harmful contaminants such as lead, arsenic, nitrates, and PFAS. Eligible recipients include homeowners, renters, child-care facilities, and multi-unit residential properties with 25 or fewer units, with priority given to those relying on private wells. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate the presence of health contaminants through water quality testing. Grants can cover the cost of water filtration systems, installation by qualified professionals, maintenance, and related water quality testing. The program is limited to households with incomes at or below 150% of the median nonmetropolitan household income, and the Secretary of Agriculture will administer the program with an annual budget of $10 million from fiscal years 2025 through 2029. Additionally, the bill requires annual reporting to Congress on drinking water challenges, technologies, and trends to help improve water quality access and awareness.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4721/all-info