Emergency Rural Water Response Act of 2025

This bill expands emergency help for small communities that lose safe water because of a disaster. It lets more towns qualify for federal grants and makes it easier to quickly set up portable water treatment when time matters. It also allows grant money to cover not just drinking water, but related systems like wastewater, storm drains, and solid waste facilities.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Small and rural communities; the population limit to qualify for emergency water grants rises from 10,000 to 35,000 people.
• What changes: Grant uses are broadened to include water, wastewater, storm drainage, and solid waste infrastructure tied to emergencies.
• Faster emergency response: For the first 6 months after a state declares a disaster or emergency, portable water treatment units can operate without needing a federal discharge permit, so clean water can be provided more quickly.