Sponsors (2)
Introduced July 24, 2025 by Tammy Baldwin · Last progress July 24, 2025
The bill provides targeted, near‑term health and cost relief for households with contaminated drinking water through grants and certified treatment devices, but limited funding, eligibility/administrative barriers, and reliance on short‑term fixes risk leaving many without help and delaying needed long‑term infrastructure upgrades.
Rural homeowners, renters, and low‑income households gain faster reductions in exposure to contaminants (lead, PFAS, arsenic, microbial contaminants) through access to certified point‑of‑use/point‑of‑entry treatment devices.
Households reliant on private wells or struggling public systems receive federal grant funding that covers purchase, installation, maintenance, and replacement filters, lowering out‑of‑pocket and lifecycle costs for low‑income families.
Local nonprofits receive funding and technical roles and the program will produce annual public reports on contaminants, technologies, and barriers, building local capacity and transparency to better inform responses and policymaking.
The program funding is limited (capped at $10M per year FY2026–2030), which is likely insufficient for widespread rural need and will leave many affected households without support.
Complex eligibility rules, income cutoffs, and application/documentation requirements (qualified testing, Secretary approvals, certification/licensed installer requirements) risk excluding moderate‑income families and households that lack application capacity, perpetuating inequities in who gets help.
Relying on point‑of‑use/point‑of‑entry devices and grant payments could divert attention and funds from long‑term system upgrades and regulatory compliance, potentially delaying comprehensive infrastructure fixes.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a grant program to pay for certified point-of-use/point-of-entry water treatment systems, installation, and qualified maintenance for eligible rural end users.
Creates a new grant program to help people in rural areas buy, install, and maintain certified point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) drinking-water treatment systems. The program sets technical standards for eligible products, requires approved installers and trained maintenance technicians, and intends to provide financial assistance for voluntary water-quality improvements rather than to demonstrate regulatory compliance.