Sutter Creek – The Amador Water Agency today will consider supporting a U.S. House of Representatives bill that would establish a Water Protection and Reinvestment Fund. The bill, HR 3202, would create a 4-cent tax on all “water-based” beverage containers (up to 5 gallons in size), and also would establish a fund “to support investments in clean water and drinking water infrastructure.” The bill was introduced in the House July 14th by Steven LaTourette (Republican-Ohio), Norman Dicks (Democrat-Washington), Mike Simpson (Republican-Idaho), and Thomas Petri (Republican-Wisconsin). The “Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009” includes “establishment and funding of a water protection and reinvestment trust fund.” It would appropriate to the Trust Fund “amounts equivalent to the taxes received in the treasury before January 7, 2016,” under provisions relating to the clean water restoration tax, and taxes relating to water.” The bill was put on today’s Amador Water Agency agenda on a suggestion by District 3 Director Don Cooper, and the board will discuss the bill and decide whether to support it. The bill includes limits to expenditures, and says funds will be available “only for purposes of investments in clean water and drinking water infrastructure.” Grants under the bill may be used by a public water system only for expenditures helping compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. Approved spending would include planning, design, and associated preconstruction activities. Funds may not be used for monitoring, operation, and maintenance expenditures. The bill would also place a 3 percent tax on the sale of “water disposal products” and a 1/2 percent tax on the sale of pharmaceuticals. All taxes in the bill would have a termination date, and cease to apply December 31st, 2015. The term “water disposal product” refers to soaps, detergents, toiletries, toilet tissue, water softeners, and cooking oils. The Water Protection and Reinvestment Fund would be run by the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and would allocate funds in the amount of 48 percent for capitalization grants for state water pollution control and 35 percent for making capitalization grants under the Safe Drinking Water Act relating to capitalization grants for state drinking water treatment. The remaining 17 percent would be split among 10 other programs. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.