WHEREAS, many of the nation's communities have aging or inadequate water infrastructure and face staggering costs for making upgrades and repairs to protect and improve water quality and to meet federal clean water and drinking water mandates; and

WHEREAS, generally, the federal Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds intended to help communities meet federal water quality mandates continue to be substantially underfunded, and will not satisfy the $530 billion plus “Needs Gap” estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to comply with federal mandates; and

WHEREAS, many of the nation’s communities experience wet weather episodes involving overflows of untreated wastewater that occur as a result of deteriorating or inadequate infrastructure, and thus are compromising many of the nation’s waterways and causing considerable public health impacts each year; and

WHEREAS, the USEPA estimates that there are 21,264 Combined Sewer Systems (CSS) and Sanitary Sewer Systems (SSS), with a combined total of 784,000 miles sanitary and storm sewer lines in the nation; and

WHEREAS, a recent study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that it will cost communities approximately $50.6 billion to address combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and $88.5 billion to address sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) over the next 20 years; and

WHEREAS, there is currently no dedicated source of direct federal funding to assist the nation’s communities with efforts to prevent or mitigate CSOs and SSOs; and

WHEREAS, the nation’s communities are vastly in need of additional federal resources to upgrade water infrastructure, and are especially in need of a dedicated source of direct federal funding to help prevent CSOs and SSOs; and

WHEREAS, the nation’s communities believe direct federal assistance for water infrastructure upgrades and improvements is a more efficient and more effective approach for achieving real improvements to water quality than receiving federal funds through state-administered programs;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges the Congress to approve legislation that would complement the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by providing more targeted and direct federal resources to help the nation's communities deal with other water infrastructure-related issues, including $50.6 billion for combined sewer overflows, and $88.5 billion for sanitary sewer overflows and stormwater management; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors strongly urges the Congress to provide FY06 funds for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund at the authorized level of $850 million and for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund at the authorized level of $1.35 billion; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors strongly urges the Congress to approve legislation to substantially increase the authorized levels for both Funds to help reverse the continuing decline of the federal share of financing these federally mandated improvements.