Water bill signed into law

WASHINGTON

The president signed U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown’s and Rob Portman’s Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act into law that would provide local communities with increased flexibility when complying with Clean Water Act requirements for updates to sewer systems.

The bill also encourages cost-saving green infrastructure and gives communities more autonomy as they prioritize and plan for wastewater and storm water investments.

“Red tape shouldn’t force communities to spread their resources thin just to meet an arbitrary time line,” said Brown, a Cleveland Democrat.

“Many local communities with aging water infrastructure systems are working to upgrade them but too often struggle with the costs of inflexible government mandates, and families are forced to pay higher utility bills as a result,” said Portman, a Cincinnati-area Republican.