Today, Congressman Ken Calvert from California's 41st district and Congressman John Garamendi from California's 8th district introduced a bill aimed at reforming federal permitting standards for local wastewater treatment and water recycling projects. The legislation, known as H.R. 2093, seeks to extend the maximum term for certain permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. Congressman David Rouzer from North Carolina's 7th district is also an original cosponsor of the bill.
Rep. Calvert emphasized the importance of water infrastructure investments in maintaining access to clean and reliable water supplies. He stated, "This legislation takes a common sense step of reforming our federal permitting requirements to correspond to the time it takes to build water infrastructure projects."
Rep. Garamendi highlighted issues with current projects, saying, "Every Californian and American deserves clean water and world-class infrastructure, but too often these projects are delayed." He noted that some water recycling projects in California have yet to begin construction despite being in their third permit term. According to Rep. Garamendi, the bill would uphold Clean Water Act protections while ensuring federal permits reflect the actual construction timeframe of water projects.
American Public Works Association President Dominick A. Longobardi supported the proposed extension of permits for up to ten years, stating it could help eliminate backlogs and delays while optimizing taxpayer dollars on priority infrastructure projects.
Scott D. Grayson, CEO of the American Public Works Association, expressed gratitude towards Representatives Garamendi and Calvert for reintroducing this legislation. He remarked that permitting reform is crucial for public works professionals and is considered a vital piece in their public policy priorities.