Chairman Carper’s Opening Statement: Hearing Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing to consider stakeholder testimony on the impact of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and subsequent amendments on protecting drinking water quality in the U.S.

Below is the opening statement of Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which President Ford signed into law on December 16, 1974.

“Today, we will reflect on the impact of the Safe Drinking Water Act and on the work that our committee has done to protect drinking water and public health. This hearing is also an opportunity to discuss what improvements are needed moving forward to safeguard our nation’s drinking water.

“Our work on the Safe Drinking Water Act is personal to me. As some of you will recall, the Bible, in Matthew 25, calls us to care for those that are in need—and to give those that are thirsty something to drink. For me, this means ensuring that all Americans have access to clean, safe and reliable water services.

“For example, back in 2017, a small unincorporated community just outside of Millsboro, in southern Delaware, reached out to me because their drinking water had become contaminated. I went and sat in the living room of one of the members of this community and heard personal stories of how children could not drink water out of their taps, families could not bathe, and overnight their property values plummeted.

“This small community—like so many across America—was dependent on well water. Their challenges led our team to start drafting the first in a series of significant drinking water reform bills over several Congresses, all with the goal of making sure every American has access to safe, clean and reliable drinking water. And the Safe Drinking Water Act is the foundational federal law that enables us to strive toward that goal.

“To understand the significance of the Safe Drinking Water Act, it’s important for us to recall the state of our nation’s drinking water in the early 1970s. Before the Safe Drinking Water Act became law in 1974, there was no comprehensive federal regulation protecting drinking water. In 1970, officials found that some 90 percent of surveyed drinking water systems were contaminated. Let me say that again—officials found that 90 percent of surveyed drinking water systems were contaminated. And between 1961 and 1970, state health departments, along with supplemental reports, documented nearly 50,000 cases of illness caused by waterborne diseases in the United States.

“As a result, Congress got to work and passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974. It would become the first federal law to provide a regulatory framework for protecting our nation’s drinking water.

“As some of us may recall, the Safe Drinking Water Act led to major federal investments in drinking water infrastructure during the 1970s and 80s, including the construction of much of our nation’s drinking water infrastructure. These investments also represented incredible progress for public health.

“Unfortunately, over the next few decades, federal investment did not keep pace with the needs of our nation. By 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave our nation’s aging drinking water infrastructure a grade of D, estimating that there was a water main break every two minutes in America.

“In Congress, we recognized the need for significant investment in water infrastructure. In 2018, this committee led the effort to pass America’s Water Infrastructure Act, which reauthorized and updated the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds for the first time in more than 20 years. Then, in 2021, this committee drafted the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act. This bill served as a foundational piece of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Biden signed into law on November 15th, 2021—another anniversary that we just celebrated.

“In total, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested an unprecedented $55 billion to improve drinking water and wastewater systems in communities across our country. This remains the single-largest water infrastructure investment in our nation’s history. Those funds are going a long way toward protecting the health and wellbeing of Americans from coast to coast.

“For example, the city of Tucson in Arizona is using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to treat contaminated well water. The community of Hastings, Nebraska is using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to inventory lead service lines that the city will then replace. And the City of Newark, New Jersey is using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to evaluate the reliability of their sewer system.

“While the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has enabled us to make considerable progress, there are still challenges facing our communities that we must address. I have long said that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was just a down payment on America’s infrastructure needs. Today’s hearing is not only an opportunity for us to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, but it is also a chance to chart a path forward to build and rebuild the 21st Century water infrastructure that we need to ensure that all Americans have access to clean drinking water. We look forward to hearing from our distinguished panel of witnesses about this important topic.”

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