The issue of Water Infrastructure financing and Safe Drinking Water was the focus of the hearing of a senate and private and public works subcommittee. An arkansas resident talk to lawmakers about his families struggle getting access to Safe Drinking Water and the help he received from erode government assistance program. He was joined by local officials to brief members of the nations Water Systems. This is about one hour and a half. I called the suing of the subcommittee on fisheries and wildlife, fisheries water and wildlife to order we hear today to discuss the innovative financing and funding to address americas deficient Water Infrastructure. The purpose of this hearing is simple. Today we will be discussing americas approach towards Drinking Water and wastewater investment come wasteWater Infrastructure investment. Many members of this committee including myself often reference the American Society of Civil Engineers, a sce, infrastructue report card. Currently the a sce great americas drinking Water Infrastructure with id. Wastewater has a slightly better grade, a d . Remind some of us are grades in school. Naseo. [laughing] this is not a real problem or a bigcity problem. Its not a republican or democrat problem. This is a National Emergency and we need to find solutions before its too late. It is one thing to see this terrible grades on paper but what does this actually mean for people in their daytoday lives . Usually when we imagine life without clean and efficient Drinking Water and wastewater we picture communities that do not resemble our own. We picture for of countries that do not of all the blessings of america. Sadly this could not be further from the truth. Currently an estimated 1. 7 million americans live without access to clean running Drinking Water in their homes. There are tremendous infrastructure needs in rural america. The estimated cost to provide improved world Drinking Water facilities totals more than 60 billion. With the needs of Water Systems and American Indian and alaska native villages accounting for 3. 3 billion alone. We are in a position to address this problem pick we have an administration that is make Infrastructure Investment a top priority. Coupled with a bipartisan support in both the senate and the house, we have an Incredible Opportunity to work across the aisle and get back on track to making americas Water Infrastructure the best in the world. While we all agreed that Infrastructure Investment is a necessity, this hearing will look at common sense approaches along with new ideas to find these important projects so we can give the American People the basic service they desperately need and deserve. A popular funding strategy at the moment is a Publicprivate Partnership, or the p3. P3s are a crucial component of the administrations proposal and unnecessary to get to the 1 trillion investment in infrastructure that the plan promises. While p3s are a great way to find certain projects, its not a magic cure for all. P3s are a great tool in our toolbox. However committed board realized p3s do not always work in small rural states such as arkansas. That being said, a combination of innovative financing, private investment along with state and federal funding such as loans and grants is a good way to address the problem. The problem will not be solved with one size fits all approach. Will have to use every funding and Financing Mechanism at our disposal. While giving communities the tools to help themselves to fix the problem. For a moment lets picture a Small Community in rural arkansas that is trying to update an aging and efficient wastewater system. This community has a small tax base coming in Infrastructure Improvements needed would make the cost of these utilities simply unaffordable. The Community Like the one i described as few options to find such a project. They can look toward the Water Infrastructure financing innovation act which provides low interest treasury rates to finance water projects but this project is not likely large enough to receive any assistance. A problem larger communities using to fund largescale projects will free up the state Revolving Fund for smaller communities here the clean water state Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water state Revolving Fund provide funding assistance to repair, replace or expand Wastewater Treatment and Drinking WaterTreatment Systems consistent with the requirements of the clean water act and Safe Drinking Water act. This community could fund the project for taxfree Municipal Bonds. Since 1913 bond interest earnings have been exempt from federal income tax. Leading investors to offer low borrowing rates to communities in 2016 alone, communities issued nearly 38 billion in Municipal Bonds to pay for Water Infrastructure projects. Translating into millions of dollars in savings from local water ratepayers. Lastly, this Small Community im described could look towards the federal government along with the state governments for assistance. There are a multitude of grants available to committees to help them help themselves. As you can see we have many tools at our disposal. The trick is finding what works for each community. Rather than a one size fits all. What works and rogers arkansas might not work in chicago illinois. Nonetheless, with the ability to Fund Important projects across the country. The time to act is now. We have an Incredible Opportunity to develop an infrastructure bill that directly addresses americas Drinking Water and wasteWater Infrastructure challenges. I want to thank our Witnesses Today for attending todays urine and i look forward to hearing realworld examples of the problems average americans are facing and im interested in seeing what kind of commonsense solution we can all agree upon. And now i turn to our Ranking Member, center to duckworth. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to apologize, i have a terrible cold. Yesterday i sent alike chewbacca. To do as some like a going through puberty. My voice continues to crack your come hoping i get to Kathleen Turner tomorrow but today its not so sexy. But i want to think the chairman for convening todays hearing and what effect all of our witnesses to spitting in this very important conversation. Last week Ranking Member carper and i organized a roundtable discussion to highlight some of our most pressing Drinking Water and wastewater challenges. We discussed the contaminants that epa currently monitors including toxins like lead, mercury and arsenic. We discussed our most vulnerable populations like young children, regnant mothers, and the elderly whose exposure to toxins in our water system can alter the trajectory of their lives. We also talked about our nations were infrastructure. Mostly built in the early to mid 20th century with an average lifespan of 75 years and a growing backlog of need in communes across the limit and osler. Also. According to the American Water works association, replacing failing or outdated Drinking Water systems and expanded capacity to match population growth will cost at least 1 trillion over the next 25 years. The American Society of Civil Engineers asked my chairman has mentioned highlights that 271 billion and wasteWater Infrastructure needs with 56 million more people connecting to treatment plans by 2032. We are not succeed in its Trump Administration and we still havent seen any meaningful details about the president infrastructure plan to us by a lot of campaigns the rhetoric about the need to invest in our infrastructure, the president s fy 22 budget provides a net loss, loss of roughly 144 billion across all modes. The president has maintain funding for the state Revolving Funds but eliminates the Usda Rural Development programs and slashes epa budget by 31 . She was last night night the white house announced the establishment of a president ial Advisory Council on infrastructure. How is the department of commerce to make recommendations to the present regarding funding, support and delivery of Infrastructure Projects across all modes. A report on advice accounts of is due sometime before december 31 of 2018. The confusion and delay of the president of thepresident s goaln accomplished. Our goal is to enhance safety, protect Public Health and create jobs. Personally i would like to advance those goals and put people back to work sooner than later. Our infrastructure needs are massive and our communities face daunting challenges to guarantee that most, what most of us take for granted, clean, safe, healthy water when we turn on the patent were here today to understand the funding financing challenges and to work to identify bipartisan solutions. Whether it be taxexempt Municipal Bonds, Publicprivate Partnerships, state Revolving Funds, im a Firm Believer in having the right tools for the job. Todays hearing focuses on the efficacy of the tools available to our communities and identify the gaps where new tools may be needed or using tools need to be modified. Each provides communities with opportunities to address their Water Infrastructure needs and each needs to be exhaustively considered in the context. I think the witnesses for the participation in this conversation. I look forward to listening to your testimony, and i thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, senator duckworth, very much. Im going to introduce mr. Frazee who is from arkansas and then go to senator booker and is going to make an introduction also. So mr. Frazee moved in 1990 to be closer to his family, and was in a situation where he didnt have running water. In 2014 mr. Frazee mother contact my office and we discussed the problem that the family was facing. After talking to her i got her in touch with Water Systems council who are able to drill wells that brought fresh reliable Drinking Water directly to the home as well as the homes of the neighbors. As many of you know this subcommittee hearing was originally supposed to take place on june 20, but due to scheduling conflicts we had to cancel at the last minute. Unfortunately for mrs. And mr. Frazee they were already on a plane. Luckily for me and i think luckily for us, i got the opportunity to speak with mr. Frazee in my office about what his family and committee went through and out the lights have changed since receiving running water. Most people who are just gotten reliable and affordable Drinking Water would forget about the problem and go on with their lives. But not mr. Frazee. To this day mr. Frazee is still getting word out to as one who is hauling water in their community. He told me whenever he sees someone hauling water he stops and tells them about the options that are available for assistance. Mr. Frazee, i would personally like to thank you and your family for everything you have done for the area. I would like to especially thank your wife, jenny, who was nice enough to travel up to d. C. Again to watch you testify. And given your personal experience, you know, these are the kind of stories that we need to get out. They are simply no substitute for so thank you very much for being here. Senator booker. First of all i want to thank the chair and Ranking Member for holding this urgently needed hearing. Most people dont understand the crisis we have in the trait of america what it comes to quality of our Drinking Water. The reuters article that talked about over 1000 jurisdiction and the United States that have more lead in the water, more late in the blood of our children and flint, michigan, does. We are in a crisis in this country and its affecting the next generation, affecting our economic competitiveness, affecting the greatest National Treasure we have which is at the genius of our kids. Im blessed to have a guy here who is one of the doing a Strong Network and a difficult environment in a city that has had a lot of challenges any candidates had a lot of challenges with Drinking Water. Even opt to the northern counties. He is renowned in his deal for the work is done to rebuild an upgrade or Water Treatment plant, implementing really cuttingedge changes including focusing on marine Infrastructure Solutions. If you look at cuttingedge solutions, in order to help address the other issues, including the combined tour over challenges. He and his team were able to make these treatments and there is some good news all of us while holding user rates steady for 17 years. He currently serves on the board of the National Association of water agencies come in the chair of the clean water industry come in the future committee. He also serves on the new Jersey Environmental justice Advisory Council. Right now to contribute to this community and now i say would be a better place, so thank you. Very good. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Josh ellis, Vice President of the metropolitan Planning Council in chicago since 1934, the metropolitan council has worked to shape a more equitable sustainable and prosperous chicago region by developing, promoting and implementing solutions for some regional growth. For more than a decade, josh has been at the forefront of the urban and Regional Planning efforts. Three initiatives like green river chicago. Josh is the leading voice in the regional conversation about storm Water Management and water supply management as well as the Water Infrastructure investment policy. I greatly appreciate his willingness to join us today and i look forward to his testimony. You are welcome to go ahead and present your testimony. Thank you, senator boozeman. Ranking members duckworth and members of the subcommittee, i would like to express my and my mothers gratitude for the opportunity story. My name is mike crazy and for most of my life, my family lived without access to safe, reliable Drinking Water. It is my hope that telling my story and struggles to secure safe reliable Drinking Water that congress will put in place policies that will bring affordable Drinking Water to millions of americans who live in our nations rural areas. Providing Rural Communities to instore wells and while systems may be the single most important form of assistance or government can provide. I live in rural northwest arkansas, an area of great natural beauty, or access to basic Services LikeDrinking Water can be extremely difficult. Life without Drinking Water can be strenuous and stressful. Youre constantly worried about how much water you have and how much water will be consumed in simple daytoday entities. In my part of the world, people drive everyday, thousands of miles a year to haul water from a coinoperated water machine to their homes. If their water station is broke or there is bad weather