Wildlife, fisheries, water and wildlife to order. We are here today to discuss innovative financing and funding to address americas i did efficient Water Infrastructure sflchl. Many members of this committee including myself often reference the American Society of Civil Engineers, infrastructure report card. Currently they grade americas drinking Water Infrastructure with a d. Was wastewater slightly better at dplus. Reminds me of some of our grades in school. How about you . This is not a rural problem or big city 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 these 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 faroff countries that do not have all the blessings america has. 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 improve these facilities totals more than 60 billion with the needs of Water Systems in American Indian and alaskan native villages accounting for 3. 3 billion alone. We are in a position to address this problem. We have an administration that has made Infrastructure Investment a top priority coupled with 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 agree that Infrastructure Investment is a necessity, this hearing will look at commonsense approaches along with new ideas to fund 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 the Publicprivate Partnership or the p3. They are a crucial component of the administrations proposal and are necessary to get to the trillion dollar investment in infrastructure it promises. A great way to fund certain projects it is not a magic cure for all. They are a great tool in our toolbox however it is important to realize they 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 a onesizefitsall approach. We 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, picture a Small Community in rural arkansas trying to update an aging an deficien wastewater system with a small tax base meaning any improvements needed would make the cost of these simply unaffordable. A Community Like the one i described has few options to fund such a project. They could look toward the will Water Infrastructure financing act which provides lowinterest treasury rates to finance water projects but this project is not likely large enough to receive any assistance. A problem larger communities to fund largescale projects will refund the state Revolving Fund for smaller communities. The clean water state Revolving Fund and Drinking Water state Revolving Fund provide funding assistance to repair, replace or expand systems consistent with the rirp requirements of the clean water act. This community could also fund the project with taxfree Municipal Bonds. Since 1913 bond earnings have been exempt from income tax leading are investors to offer low borrowing rates. In 2016 alone they issued nearly 38 billion to pay for projects, resulting in millions of dollars for local water ratepairs. Lastly, they could look to the federal government and state governments for assistance. There are a multitude of grants available to communities to help them help themselves. As you can see, we have many tools at our disposal. The trick is finding what works in every community rather than onesizefits all. What works in rogers arkansas might not work in chicago, illinois. 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 hearing and look forward to hearing realworld examples of the problems average americans are facing and im interested in seeing what kind of common, solutions we can all agree upon. Now, i turn to our Ranking Member, senator. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to apologize. I have a terrible cold. Yesterday i sounded like chewbaca, today, a boy going through puberty. Im hoping i get to Kathleen Turner tomorrow. Today, its not so sexy. I thank the chairman for convening todays hearing and all of our witnesses participating in this very important conversation. Last week, the Ranking Member and i organized a round table discussion to highlight some of other most pressing Drinking Water and wastewater challenges. We discussed 90 contaminants that e. P. A. Currently monitors, toxins like led, mercury and arsenic and discussed our most vulnerable populations, young children, pregnant mothers and elderly whose exposure can alter the trajectory of their lives. We also talked about our nations Water Infrastructure mostly bid in the early to mid 20th century with an average lifespan of 75 years. According to the american waterworks association, replacing failing or outdated Drinking Water systems and expandi expanding capacity will cost at least a trillion dollars over the next 25 years. The American Society of Civil Engineers as my chairman has mentioned highlights that, 271 billion in wasteWater Infrastructure needs with 56 million more people connecting to the plants by 2032. We are now six months into the Trump Administration and still hasnt seen any meaningful details about their infrastructure plan. Despite Campaign Rhetoric about the need to invest in our infrastructure, the 2018 budget provides am n net loss, loss, o roughly 144 billion across all modes. Eliminates Usdas Rural Development programs and slashes epas budget 31 . Last night the white house announced a president Advisory Council on infrastructure to make recommendations regarding funding, support and delivery of projects across all mod dzes. The confusion and delay of the president s goal, mission accomplished. Our goal to enhance safety protect Public Health and create jobs. Personally, id like to advance those goals and put people back to work sooner than later. Our communities face daunting challenges to guarantee what most of us take for granted, clean, safe, healthy water when we turn on the tap. Were here today to better understand the funding challenges and to work for bipartisan solutions. Whether textexempt bonds and to identify the gaps where new tools may be needed or [ inaudible ] may be modified. Each provides communities with opportunities to address their Water Infrastructure needs and each needs to be thoughtfully considered in their context. Again, i thank the witnesses for their participation in this conversation and look forward to listening to your testimony. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, senator duck worth very much. Im going to introduce mr. Frassi from arkansas and go to senator booker for an introduction, also. Mr. Frassi moved in 1990 to be closer to his family. And was in a situation where he didnt have running water. In 2014, mr. Frassis mother contacted my office and we discussed the problem that the family was facing. After talking to pls frassi, i got her in touch with the Water Systems council who were able to drill wells and 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 supposed to take place june 20th but due to a scheduling conflict we had to cancel at the last minute. Unfortunately for them they were already on a plane flying to d. C. By the time the hearing got officially canceled. Luckily for me, i think luckily for us, i got the opportunity to speak with him in my office about what his family and community went through and how their lives changed since receiving running water. Most people who are just got ten reliable and affordable Drinking Water would forget about the problem and go on with their lives but not him. To this day he is still getting word out to everyone who is hauling water in their community, he told me whenever he sees someone hauling water he stops and tells them about the options available for assistance. Mr. Frassi, i would personally like to thank you and your family for everything youve 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 we need to get out. Theres simply no substitute for it so thank you very much for being here. Senator . 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 United States of america when it comes to the quality of our Drinking Water. The reuters article recently that talked over a thousand jurisdictions in the United States of america that have more led in their water and in the blood of our children than flint, michigan does. We are in a crisis in this country and its affecting the next generation, our economic competitiveness, affecting the greatest natural treasure we have, not oil or gas but the genius of our kids. Im blessed to have a guy here who is one of the champions of our state doing extraordinary work in a difficult environment in a city that has had a lot of challenges and a county that has had a lot of challenges with Drinking Water. And so, andy, thank you for coming here. Andy, for those for the record is currently executive director and chief engineer of the Camden County municipal utilities authority. Before becoming the executive director and cheer engineer there in 2011, he was the deputy executive director from 1996 to 2011. For over two decades andys been an incredible Public Servant and made a reputation for himself even to the Northern Counties like essex. He is renowned in his field the work he has done to rebuild and upgrade Camden Countys Water Treatment plant implementing really cuttingedge changes including focusing on Green Infrastructure solutions. Hes utilized cuttingedge Green Infrastructure solutions to address other issues including camdens combined sewer overflow challenges. Andy and his team were able to make these impressive improvements and i think this is good news to all of us while holding user rates steady for 17 years. Andy currently serves on the board the National Association of clean water agencies as the chair of the clean water industry of the future committee and Environmental Service committee. He also serves on the new Jersey Environmental justice Advisory Council, grateful hes here right now to contribute to this committee and i always say washington would be a better place if more jersey came down here. So, thank you. Very good. Thank you. Thank you very much. Senator . Thank you, mr. Chairman. Im pleased to welcome josh ellis, Vice President of the metropolitan Planning Council in chicago. Since 1934, the council has worked to shape a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous chicagoland region developing, promoting and implementing solutions for sound regional growth. For more than a decade josh has been at the forefront of their urban and Regional Planning efforts through initiatives like green rivers chicago and transform illinois. Josh is a leading voice in the regional conversation about storm Water Management and water supply management as well as advance i advancing investment policy. I greatly appreciate his willingness to join us today and very much look forward to his testimony. Thank you. Mr. Frassi, you are welcome to go ahead and present your testimony. Thank you, senator. Good morning, chairman, Ranking Members, and members of the subcommittee. I would like to express my and my mothers gratitude for the opportunity to share our story. My name is mike frassi, for most of my life my family lived without access to safe, drinkable water. It is my hope telling my Story 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 with this resource to install wells and well systems may bring may be the singlemost form of assistance our government can provide. I live in rural northwest arkansas, an area of great natural beauty. But where access to basic Services LikeDrinking Water can be extremely difficult. Life without Drinking Water can be strenuous and stressful. You are constantly worried how much water you have and how much water will be consumed in a simple daytoday activity. In my part of the world people drive every day thousands of miles a year to haul water from a coin operated water machine. To their homes. And if their water station is broke or there is bad weather conditions, you might not have you might have to go several days without water. Hauling water consumes many hours a week, tremendous wear and tear on vehicles and has resulted in a number of deadly accidents. My dad, who is a disabled vet, spent much of his life hauling water to our home. My mother was constantly stressed out about how much water we had. Many people in our area veterans, the disabled, Single Parents are down on their luck, just trying to do right and survive. These folks cant go to a bank ask for a loan to pay for a well. We do not have the opportunity to tap into city rural Water Systems. Many of my neighbors struggle to get water. We have single single moms taking their children to hot water in buckets, one also worries about the quality of the water being hauled. The water station uses a sign that states, we cannot ensure the quality of water. How awful is that . In 2014, our prayers for reliable, affordable source of Drinking Water were answered. My mother contacted senator bosman who listened to our story and took action to help our family and families like ours to get Drinking Water. The senator arranged meetings between my mom and the Water System Council that resulted in drilling of wells that brought fresh reliable Drinking Water drinkly into my mothers home and eventually into my home and our neighbors homes. Wells and well systems are a godsend to Rural Communities like mine. We were never to going we were never going to have resources to pay for Drinking Water, Treatment Facilities or run water lines many miles however wells provide to be a very costeffective alternative for me and my neighbors. The Water Syst