WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) applauded the unanimous passage of their bipartisan Senate resolution to designate the week of April 23, 2023 through April 29, 2023 as “National Water Week.”

Their resolution recognizes that every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The resolution also recognizes the critical role of federal support to maintain water affordability, and that there should be federal investment in stormwater capture, sustainable desalination, and water recycling. The resolution applauds the historic investments made by the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for water affordability and climate adaptation and resiliency.

“Access to safe, clean drinking water is a human right, yet more than two million Americans lack access to it in their homes,” said Senator Padilla. “As California faces the risk of catastrophic floods following record setting storms this winter, we are reminded of the need to invest in stormwater recapture and improved water management infrastructure. Our resolution reaffirms our commitment to investing in water systems, especially for our most disadvantaged communities.”

“More than two million people in the United States, thousands of whom live in rural Alaska, lack access to running water, indoor plumbing, or wastewater services,” Senator Sullivan said. “I want to thank Senator Padilla for joining me in passing this resolution declaring ‘National Water Week’ and affirming the important role Congress must play in ensuring disadvantaged communities gain sufficient access to drinking water infrastructure.”

As Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, Senator Padilla is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to clean water in their communities. Padilla previously introduced the Water Reuse and Resiliency Act to authorize $1 billion over five years for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Projects grants program. He also introduced the Clean Water for Military Families Act, which would require the Department of Defense to conduct investigations and remediate Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) contamination within and surrounding Department of Defense installations in the U.S. and state-owned National Guard facilities.

In addition to Padilla and Sullivan, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).

Full text of the resolution is available here.

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