Bill on water supply safety advances
WASHINGTON — A key House committee on Thursday approved a water-resources bill that included amendments, authored by Rep. Elizabeth Esty, aimed at ameliorating pollution to Connecticut groundwater caused by corroded pipes.
The amendments to the Water Resources and Development Act are directed at the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees numerous engineering projects that address flood damage, restoration of delicate ecosystems, and prevention of hurricane and storm damage.
The bill on Thursday won approval of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, of which Esty, D-Conn., is a member.
The Army Corps also plays an important role in pinpointing corroded pipes that result in water pollution. More than 75 percent of wells in Connecticut hold groundwater polluted with contaminants, according to a United States Geological Survey in 2016. The study identifies Connecticut as one of 11 states containing a high level of groundwater infused with chemicals, which could be attributed to the state’s old plumbing fixtures.
Water contaminants were found last year in the pipelines of towns including Newtown, New Fairfield and Torrington. Residents were advised to boil water before drinking after some of the chemicals were found again this year.
“Corrosion is a serious factor in shortening life span, which costs more money and endangers the public,” Esty said in an interview. “When infrastructure falls apart or gets corroded, that has an impact on health and safety for the American people.”
The amendments are intended to improve the structure of the Corps, which Esty said lacks thorough research strategies, management and funding to address concerns in Connecticut pertaining to pipeline corrosion.
The Army Corps of Engineers, a D.C.-based agency that carries out the bulk of the act’s requirements, conducts water resource projects, like building dams and bridges around New England. The Corps also regulates pollutants within drinking water sources.
Esty said the Corps should work to prevent pipeline corrosion from becoming a large-scale issue, citing Flint, Mich., where corroded pipelines caused drinking water to infuse with unsafe lead. She said towns in Connecticut, like Torrington, have experienced water damage from floods, but the Corps has not adequately addressed their concerns.
One of the amendments requires the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress about its efforts to mitigate water corrosion and launch water resources projects.
There are currently 13 Corps projects in Esty’s 5th District in Connecticut that focus on managing floods. But the projects are often outdated and need management updates, Esty said.
Esty also added an amendment asking that Secretary of the Army Mark Esper report to Congress on its research about water resources projects, like building dams or bridges. Esty said members of the Corps could be incentivized to improve their research on towns that experience water issues if they know their work is reported.
“They don’t do much — they’re short on money,” Esty said of the Corps. “The Corps’ plans have not changed even though the education and the science have.”
The release also outlined an amendment recommending a study about the rate that senior leaders within the Army Corps cycle out of their positions. Esty said the National Academy of Science will conduct the study.
She said longer tenures, as opposed to roughly three-year terms, in senior Corps positions would develop a better flow of communication with Connecticut residents because top officials would better grasp the ongoing issues.
The amendments were approved in the Senate and will advance to the House floor for debate in June. The legislation passed by the Senate in 2016, but never won approval in the House.