Atlanta, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s legislation to help upgrade Atlanta’s water infrastructure has passed through the U.S. Senate.
Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock introduced the City of Atlanta Water Infrastructure Enhancement Act to upgrade drinking water for families and businesses across Atlanta. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill passed the Senate as part of this year’s Water Resources Development Act reauthorization. The bill previously passed the House and now heads to the President’s desk to become law.
The legislation would expand an existing authorization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out water infrastructure projects in the city, including drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects, which would improve quality of life and strengthen resilience. The authorization would be a key first step to later deliver funding needed for water infrastructure projects.
“Clean, safe, healthy drinking water is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. For families, for seniors, and for businesses in the community, any interruption of safe drinking water is an emergency,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why after disruptions in Atlanta earlier this year, Senator Reverend Warnock, Congresswoman Williams, and I introduced and have now passed this legislation to help upgrade Atlanta’s water infrastructure.”
“Georgians across the state rely on safe, clean, and reliable water for drinking, maintaining homes and businesses, and more. But this is the type of work that goes largely unrecognized until disaster strikes, highlighting why it is so important to secure investments today that will protect Georgia’s water infrastructure tomorrow,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “This bipartisan legislation will help do just that, and I will continue championing federal investments that bolster Georgia’s economy and ecology.”
Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock continue working to strengthen Georgia’s water infrastructure.
In June, Sens. Ossoff and Warnock and Congresswoman Williams delivered $993,500 through the bipartisan infrastructure law for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure following the recent series of water main breaks that left hundreds of thousands of families and businesses without water.
In May, Sen. Ossoff delivered Federal funding to help the City of College Park install a new water storage tank and booster system, which will ensure residents have access to reliable, clean drinking water, and accommodate economic growth in the city, and he delivered new resources to help replace Rockdale County’s 50-year-old water pump station.
In 2022, Sen. Ossoff and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-07) passed into law their Chattahoochee River Act, a first-of-its-kind law that authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work on water projects up and down the Chattahoochee River throughout the state of Georgia.
Click aquí to read the City of Atlanta Water Infrastructure Enhancement Act.
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