President Donald Trump recently signed the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act into law, which codifies the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Planning approach and includes provisions ensuring the use of green infrastructure to reduce stormwater flows.

The Act also establishes an office of Municipal Ombudsman in the EPA that provides municipalities with technical assistance to comply with the Clean Water Act.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) said in a statement that every American deserves to know that our nation’s waters are not impaired with contaminants.

“This bipartisan bill — now signed into law — moves us another step closer to reaching that goal,” says Carper. “The bill will help communities across the country meet federal Clean Water Act standards.  It enables public utilities to create community-based water plans and connects municipalities with experts at EPA, thereby providing rural utilities with more of the certainty needed to make long-term water infrastructure investments.”

Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), also of the EPW, echoed that sentiment, saying everyone wants clean and safe water. “That’s why we were able to build consensus and bring this bipartisan, bicameral measure over the finish line. Now communities like Omaha, Nebraska, will have more flexibility to update water infrastructure and protect drinking water in a more effective and affordable manner.”

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) also applauds the law. “As public clean water utilities and the communities they serve continue to face increasing water quality and affordability challenges each day, codifying Integrated Planning helps communities better sequence and prioritize, in a holistic fashion, how they comply with their clean water permit obligations,” says Adam Krantz, NACWA’s CEO. “Enactment of this legislation is a major win for clean water utilities large and small across the country, enabling them to better provide their residents with safer, more reliable and affordable public clean water services.”