U.S. Rep. Cartwright Reintroduces Bill to Conserve Water and Save Consumers Money

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) reintroduced the Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use (WATER Use) Act to encourage water conservation and provide federal funding to help consumers upgrade to water-efficient products and help them save money.

"Conserving our precious drinking water supply is critical to Americans' wellbeing," said Rep. Cartwright. "By improving water efficiency, consumers will benefit from a more robust water supply and lower water bills. This bill takes responsible and commonsense approaches to water conservation as the threat of shortages across the nation grows."

At the time of the WATER Use Act's introduction, 39 out of 50 states were experiencing drought, putting pressure on one of our most critical natural resources. Water utility bills for households have risen by more than 50% over the last decade, placing financial strain on hard-working Americans.

One tool to maximize water and financial savings is the conversion to water-efficient products, which not only reduce water waste, but also conserve energy used to treat, pump and heat water.

The WATER Use Act would provide assistance to state, local and tribal governments; wastewater, water and energy utilities; and nonprofit organizations to support incentive programs for consumer purchases of residential water-efficient products and services.

In addition, the WATER Use Act directs all federal agencies to give purchase preference to WaterSense-certified products and services.

WaterSense is a voluntary certification labeling program that acts as a water-friendly companion to Energy Star, which is a similar energy-efficiency program administered by the EPA and the Department of Energy.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, this legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Anna Eshoo (CA-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-1), Mark Takano (CA-39), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).

This legislation is endorsed by the Alliance for Water Efficiency, American Rivers, Clean Water Action, Environment America, Environmental Working Group, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), Kohler Inc., League of Conservation Voters, National Turfgrass Federation, Ohio Environmental Council, Plumbing Manufacturers International, Prairie Rivers Network, Sierra Club, Tennessee Clean Water Network and Waterkeeper Alliance.

"With reliable, affordable water supplies increasingly at risk because of droughts, aging infrastructure, and population growth, there is an urgent need for the federal government to increase its investment in water efficiency," said Ron Burke, President and CEO of the Alliance for Water Efficiency. "The WATER Use Act would help incentivize the use of water efficient products recognized by the WaterSense program, which is a program similar to EnergyStar. Furthermore, this act would direct federal agencies to lead the way by using WaterSense products."

Text of this legislation can be found HERE.

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