饮用水和清洁水机构正在寻求乔·拜登（Joe Biden）总统的1.9亿美元共同刺激计划，以提供额外的救济计划，因为许多人继续为数百万无法支付账单的客户提供服务。而且这些犯罪的伤害比过去的伤害更大，因为近年来联邦和州的水基础设施资金一直在下降。

水环境联合会立法事务总监史蒂夫·戴（Steve Dye）表示：“大多数公用事业通常不必为即时计划或立即资助需求做出重大削减，因为[大多数]有储备可以借鉴。”

But Dye says that most water utilities have begun to tap into reserves, and “are making some decisions regarding long-term projects.” For example, a utility may choose to delay a project planned to begin in 2022 by a year or more, he says.

Washington, D.C.-based DC Water has not had to rely on reserves, according to David L. Gadis, its CEO and general manager. But DC Water has seen consumption dip and late or delinquent payments from ratepayers rise. As a result, Gadis says, “We have delayed some infrastructure investments, including small-diameter water and sewer projects [and are] prioritizing current projects underway … that are mandated, those that are grant-funded and critical work.”

三拜登的1.9美元llion plan includes $5 billion for home water and energy, costs and arrears. The relief bill will likely be attached to the budget resolution during reconciliation, a process that allows approval by a simple majority vote in the Senate. That cuts down on GOP lawmakers’ ability to filibuster the package. Reconciliation may only be used once per fiscal year, and all amendments and supplementary packages must be germane to the budget. Lawmakers in both chambers approved the budget resolution for fiscal 2022 on Feb. 5, and Democratic leaders say they hope to pass the coronavirus relief bill by the end of February through the reconciliation process as part of the budgetary proceedings.

拜登的救济法案

A group of GOP senators proposed a more modest $618-billion relief bill, but Biden said Feb. 5 the dismal unemployment numbers for January have prompted him to push to use reconciliation to enact his full relief package. Biden said, “I’d like to be doing [a relief bill] with the support of Republicans. … But they’re just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go.”

Officials from several water sector groups say water utilities have been hit hard by the pandemic. “Aging water infrastructure and expanded regulatory mandates are expected to put additional upward pressure on local water rates in the coming years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only added additional stress to households facing rising water bills,” said Diane VanDe Hei, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’ CEO.

纳税人and water agencies got some help in the December COVID-19 relief measure that then-President Donald Trump signed Dec. 27. In that legislation, lawmakers allocated $638 million for a new Low-Income Water Customer Assistance Program (LIWCAP), which provides short-term relief to low-income households. It is similar to other federal programs that provide federal money for people in need of help paying for food and home heating.

该计划将为卫生和公共服务部提供资金，这将使它们传播。

LIWCAP’s creation was “significant, both in the [funding] number, and it was also the first time Congress has ever appropriated federal funding for ratepayer assistance,” for water utilities, says Kristina Surfus, National Association of Clean Water Agencies’ managing director for government affairs. “However,” she adds, “it’s not near the actual need, estimated around $8 billion in outstanding bills.”

水公用事业还希望看到更多用于水基础设施的联邦资金。染料说：“我们还没有得到很多牵引力”，因为在拟议的新救济包中加入了这种资金。但是他有希望的立法者会考虑将资金添加到该法案或更广泛的基础设施方案中。Surfus还说，参议院环境和公共工程以及房屋运输和基础设施委员会的领导人表示有兴趣在未来几个月内制定一项全面的水基础设施法案。