# What the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2021 Does

This bill is about fixing America's drinking water problems by investing billions of dollars in water infrastructure, setting new safety standards for harmful chemicals, and helping communities afford clean water. Think of it as a major overhaul of the nation's water system to address problems that have been building for years.

The bill has three main parts. First, it pumps money into water infrastructure—about $4.5 billion per year through 2031 specifically for replacing lead pipes, which is a huge deal because lead in drinking water is particularly dangerous for children and can cause permanent brain damage. The bill also increases funding for general water system improvements and makes sure territories like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands get a bigger share of federal water money. It includes requirements that water systems use American-made iron and steel for repairs and that workers on these projects earn prevailing wages. Schools and child care facilities can also get grants to test for lead and replace contaminated water fountains.

Second, the bill tackles chemical contamination by requiring the EPA to set national safety standards for three dangerous chemicals: PFAS (a group of "forever chemicals" used in firefighting foam and non-stick products that have contaminated water supplies across the country), microcystin toxin (a poison produced by algae blooms), and 1,4-dioxane (an industrial chemical). Right now, there are no federal limits on these chemicals, so communities have no legal protection. The bill also creates a grant program to help water systems pay for treatment technology to remove PFAS from their water, with priority going to low-income communities.

Third, the bill addresses affordability by creating an emergency relief program to help people who can't pay their water bills, particularly those affected by natural disasters. Overall, this bill would significantly increase federal investment in water safety and infrastructure, directly affecting anyone who drinks tap water—which is essentially everyone—and particularly benefiting lower-income communities and areas dealing with lead or chemical contamination.

Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2021

Tonko, Paul

Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2021 This bill provides support for drinking water infrastructure and requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the safety and affordability of drinking water. The bill reauthorizes and establishes several programs for drinking water infrastructure. For example, it reauthorizes through FY2031 the drinking water state revolving fund. In addition, the bill revises requirements concerning the safety of drinking water, including by requiring the EPA to promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as PFAS), microcystin toxin, and 1,4&#8211;dioxane. PFAS&nbsp;are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain the compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing. Microcystin is a toxin that is produced by certain algae. The solvent known as 1,4&#8211;dioxane may also have adverse human health effects. It is used in variety of products, such as adhesives, sealants, and printing inks. The EPA must also implement a residential emergency relief program that assists customers of public water systems with paying drinking water bills. Under the program, the EPA must provide payments to public water systems to reimburse them for forgiving their customers' debts or fees for services provided since March 1, 2020. Public water systems that receive payments may not disconnect or interrupt their customer's service because of such debt or fees.