Sponsors (4)
The bill funds and subsidizes Water ISAC participation to improve monitoring, coordination, and response for water systems—boosting public-health and security protections—while imposing modest federal costs and creating reliance and data-privacy risks if protections and long-term funding are not ensured.
Community water systems and publicly owned treatment works will receive improved threat monitoring and incident data sharing through the Water ISAC, enabling faster detection and response to contamination or attacks.
Utilities and local governments gain stronger federal coordination with the Water ISAC, improving preparedness for natural hazards and malicious acts and reducing the likelihood of prolonged service interruptions.
Local water systems (community water systems and treatment works) receive dedicated federal funding support ($10 million per year for FY2026–2027) to implement and sustain the program, enabling needed resources and planning.
Smaller utilities and rural water systems could become dependent on federal offsets for Water ISAC membership, creating sustainability risks for their ability to participate if funding ends after FY2027.
Utilities and local governments may face privacy and confidentiality concerns because expanded incident data collection and sharing could expose sensitive infrastructure information if safeguards are not specified.
Taxpayers will fund the program with about $20 million in federal spending total, which represents a modest budget increase that could compete with other priorities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs EPA to promote and pay for Water ISAC participation for community water systems and treatment works, expand data sharing and tools, and authorizes $10M/year for 2026–2027.
Introduced March 25, 2025 by Janice D. Schakowsky · Last progress March 25, 2025
Requires the EPA to create and run a program, within one year, to boost participation in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Water ISAC) by community water systems, publicly owned treatment works, and other water-sector entities. The EPA must help pay membership costs for eligible systems, expand data sharing and cooperation with Water ISAC on incident data and threat analysis, and improve Water ISAC tools and resources to strengthen preparedness against malicious acts and natural hazards. The bill authorizes $10 million for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027, available until expended, and ties key terms to existing Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water Act definitions.