The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018, included as title I of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (S. 3021), was signed into law Oct. 23, 2018.  The new law will provide for investment in harbor, waterway, flood protection and other water infrastructure improvements throughout the country.

The bipartisan leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee released the following statements (edited for brevity) on the Senate’s passage of the legislation:

“These laws are essential federal commitments to improving the harbors, ports, waterways, locks, dams and other water infrastructure that makes our transportation network more efficient, the country competitively stronger, and our communities safer from flooding.” —Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA). 

“Passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 is a win for our Nation’s coastal communities. This critical legislation authorizes water infrastructure projects developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will strengthen our ports, harbors and waterways, and it will create and sustain jobs.” —Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR).

“This bill is about delivering proactive solutions so that communities actually benefit from enhanced flood protection instead of having to endure decades of studies and inaction; so state, local and other folks on the ground can play a larger role in getting projects built faster and at lower costs to taxpayers; so permitting starts to make sense and we stop paying for redundant studies that only delay projects and the restoration of the environment, and; so our economy keeps growing through investments in our shipping capabilities that allow us to keep pace with global trends.” —Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-LA)

“This law builds on the work we have begun in previous WRDAs at focusing the Army Corps of Engineers on water supply in arid regions, such as Southern California. It also improves EPA programs for storm water, water recycling, and sewer overflow projects, increases water workforce training to address new technologies and a retiring workforce, and it creates a national standard for water-efficient products.” —Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Napolitano (D-CA)

Click here for more information about America’s Water Infrastructure Act, which includes the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. —Transportation and Infrastructure Committee