WASHINGTON — A bill introduced by a bipartisan pair of Congress members from Alabama would provide additional assistance to Alabamians seeking to install or upgrade decentralized wastewater systems.
U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, and Mike Rogers, R-Saks, introduced the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Reauthorization Act to expand an existing U.S. Department of Agriculture program that provides grants to low and moderate-income households for wastewater systems. The two Alabama lawmakers created the program as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.
“I have seen firsthand the health and environmental hazards caused by failing wastewater systems in rural Alabama,” Sewell said in a statement. “No family should have to endure these conditions simply because they cannot afford the exorbitant cost of maintaining their own wastewater system or lack access to municipal lines.”
The legislation would expand the grant program through 2031 and increase the subgrant amount from $15,000 to $20,000. It would direct funding to individuals earning 60% or less of the area’s median income.
“Every community in Alabama is affected by rural wastewater access,” said Rep. Rogers. “Through this program, more Alabamians will gain access to the safe water systems they desperately need.”
The reauthorization would allow the funding to include the cost of a performance warranty for individually owned household wastewater systems.
About 20% of Americans have their own sewage disposal systems, according to Sewell’s office. In Alabama’s Black Belt region, about 169,000 residents rely on decentralized systems.
High maintenance costs for wastewater infrastructure can lead to failures that harm the health of household residents and those nearby.
A bipartisan, companion bill in the Senate was introduced by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V.
“Hundreds of thousands of homes across the U.S. lack access to basic sewage systems, with many left with no option but to straight-pipe raw sewage directly into their back yards,” Booker said in a statement. “…this bill will help provide better access to wastewater infrastructure for families who desperately need it.”