Digital infrastructure technology grant program

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Critical water supply need The term critical water supply need means an existing or reasonably anticipated future water supply need that cannot be met by existing water supplies, as identified in a comprehensive Statewide or regional water supply plan or assessment projected over a planning period of not less than 20 years. (2) Digital infrastructure technology The term digital infrastructure technology means information technology or operational technology that utilizes— (A) remote sensing, flow or pressure monitoring, real-time pollutant or water monitoring, management, analytics, data, or acoustic data collection tools and technologies that may detect or reduce water loss, identify damaged or nonfunctioning infrastructure, or improve the efficiency, reliability, or resiliency of the operations of a public water system or treatment works; (B) industrial control systems, including supervisory control and data acquisition technology; (C) artificial or embedded intelligence, or other intelligent optimization tools; (D) hydraulic analysis, digital design software, and advanced digital design and construction management tools or software that may aid in the development of digital models and engineering plans; and (E) real-time data acquisition to support predictive aquifer recharge through water reuse and stormwater management capabilities. (3) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (A) the owner or operator of a publicly owned public water system or treatment works that serves— (i) a rural area; or (ii) an area of a State that is experiencing a critical water supply need; and (B) a State or Indian Tribe, on behalf of an entity described in subparagraph (A). (4) Program The term program means the grant program established under subsection (b)(1). (5) Public water system The term public water system has the meaning given the term in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f). (6) Rural area The term rural area has the meaning given the term rural community in section 221(f)(2)(B)(i) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301(f)(2)(B)(i)). (7) Treatment works The term treatment works has the meaning given the term in section 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292). (b) Grant program (1) Establishment Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall establish a grant program to provide infrastructure assistance to eligible entities in accordance with this subsection to design, construct, and maintain digital infrastructure technology. (2) Form of grants The Administrator may award a grant under the program to assist an eligible entity in— (A) designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining digital infrastructure technology for water infrastructure, source water protection, and water development projects in rural areas, including for— (i) facilities that supply, collect, and treat water, including drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater, including through desalination and water reuse; (ii) water distribution and wastewater conveyance systems; and (iii) the protection or development of surface water or groundwater resources, including through banking or recharging of aquifers; (B) providing training and workforce development activities to help project and construction managers and owners and operators of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities manage water infrastructure projects using digital infrastructure technology; and (C) mitigating risks and employing countermeasures to reduce the vulnerabilities of digital infrastructure technology for water infrastructure from cyber-attacks through on-site cybersecurity training and technical assistance. (3) Prioritization In selecting recipients of grants under the program, the Administrator shall give priority to eligible entities that— (A) own or operate public water systems or treatment works that serve fewer than 3,300 people; or (B) serve people or comprise people that, as determined by the Administrator, are most in need, such as— (i) pre-fabricated home community organizations or associations that are controlled by a local public body; and (ii) other organizations that— (I) own or operate a public water system or treatment works; and (II) are owned or controlled by members of the community served by the public water system or treatment works. (4) Authorization of appropriations (A) In general There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out the program $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030, to remain available until expended. (B) Limitation Of the amounts made available under subparagraph (A) for grants to eligible entities, not more than $5,000,000 may be used to provide grants to eligible entities described in subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii). (c) Applicability of other Federal and State laws Nothing in this section waives, limits, or otherwise affects the applicability of any provision of Federal or State law that would apply to a project to be carried out with grants provided under the program. (d) Government Accountability Office report Not later than 5 years after the date on which grant funds are first disbursed to eligible entities under subsection (b), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that— (1) identifies— (A) water loss and inadequate fire flow capacity in public water systems that serve rural areas; (B) potential bottlenecks in combined sewer systems that serve rural areas that could prevent an overflow in a wastewater infrastructure system caused by extreme precipitation or excess runoff; and (C) models and simulations that are effective in assessing the challenges of water resource management in rural areas; (2) makes recommendations for— (A) developing water resource management plans to accommodate population growth in rural areas; (B) prioritizing areas for improvement of the infrastructure and operations of public water systems and treatment works in rural areas; (C) maximizing interoperability of digital infrastructure technology with other systems, products, tools, and applications; (D) reducing project delays and cost overruns in water infrastructure projects that serve rural areas; (E) reducing the total cost of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects in rural areas; (F) understanding the impact of digital infrastructure technology in rural areas on sustainability and resiliency of a public water system or treatment works; and (G) using digital infrastructure technology to increase the affordability of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services in rural areas; and (3) evaluates the results of the program.

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Critical water supply need The term critical water supply need means an existing or reasonably anticipated future water supply need that cannot be met by existing water supplies, as identified in a comprehensive Statewide or regional water supply plan or assessment projected over a planning period of not less than 20 years. (2) Digital infrastructure technology The term digital infrastructure technology means information technology or operational technology that utilizes— (A) remote sensing, flow or pressure monitoring, real-time pollutant or water monitoring, management, analytics, data, or acoustic data collection tools and technologies that may detect or reduce water loss, identify damaged or nonfunctioning infrastructure, or improve the efficiency, reliability, or resiliency of the operations of a public water system or treatment works; (B) industrial control systems, including supervisory control and data acquisition technology; (C) artificial or embedded intelligence, or other intelligent optimization tools; (D) hydraulic analysis, digital design software, and advanced digital design and construction management tools or software that may aid in the development of digital models and engineering plans; and (E) real-time data acquisition to support predictive aquifer recharge through water reuse and stormwater management capabilities. (3) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (A) the owner or operator of a publicly owned public water system or treatment works that serves— (i) a rural area; or (ii) an area of a State that is experiencing a critical water supply need; and (B) a State or Indian Tribe, on behalf of an entity described in subparagraph (A). (4) Program The term program means the grant program established under subsection (b)(1). (5) Public water system The term public water system has the meaning given the term in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f). (6) Rural area The term rural area has the meaning given the term rural community in section 221(f)(2)(B)(i) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301(f)(2)(B)(i)). (7) Treatment works The term treatment works has the meaning given the term in section 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292). (b) Grant program (1) Establishment Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall establish a grant program to provide infrastructure assistance to eligible entities in accordance with this subsection to design, construct, and maintain digital infrastructure technology. (2) Form of grants The Administrator may award a grant under the program to assist an eligible entity in— (A) designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining digital infrastructure technology for water infrastructure, source water protection, and water development projects in rural areas, including for— (i) facilities that supply, collect, and treat water, including drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater, including through desalination and water reuse; (ii) water distribution and wastewater conveyance systems; and (iii) the protection or development of surface water or groundwater resources, including through banking or recharging of aquifers; (B) providing training and workforce development activities to help project and construction managers and owners and operators of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities manage water infrastructure projects using digital infrastructure technology; and (C) mitigating risks and employing countermeasures to reduce the vulnerabilities of digital infrastructure technology for water infrastructure from cyber-attacks through on-site cybersecurity training and technical assistance. (3) Prioritization In selecting recipients of grants under the program, the Administrator shall give priority to eligible entities that— (A) own or operate public water systems or treatment works that serve fewer than 3,300 people; or (B) serve people or comprise people that, as determined by the Administrator, are most in need, such as— (i) pre-fabricated home community organizations or associations that are controlled by a local public body; and (ii) other organizations that— (I) own or operate a public water system or treatment works; and (II) are owned or controlled by members of the community served by the public water system or treatment works. (4) Authorization of appropriations (A) In general There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out the program $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030, to remain available until expended. (B) Limitation Of the amounts made available under subparagraph (A) for grants to eligible entities, not more than $5,000,000 may be used to provide grants to eligible entities described in subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii). (c) Applicability of other Federal and State laws Nothing in this section waives, limits, or otherwise affects the applicability of any provision of Federal or State law that would apply to a project to be carried out with grants provided under the program. (d) Government Accountability Office report Not later than 5 years after the date on which grant funds are first disbursed to eligible entities under subsection (b), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that— (1) identifies— (A) water loss and inadequate fire flow capacity in public water systems that serve rural areas; (B) potential bottlenecks in combined sewer systems that serve rural areas that could prevent an overflow in a wastewater infrastructure system caused by extreme precipitation or excess runoff; and (C) models and simulations that are effective in assessing the challenges of water resource management in rural areas; (2) makes recommendations for— (A) developing water resource management plans to accommodate population growth in rural areas; (B) prioritizing areas for improvement of the infrastructure and operations of public water systems and treatment works in rural areas; (C) maximizing interoperability of digital infrastructure technology with other systems, products, tools, and applications; (D) reducing project delays and cost overruns in water infrastructure projects that serve rural areas; (E) reducing the total cost of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects in rural areas; (F) understanding the impact of digital infrastructure technology in rural areas on sustainability and resiliency of a public water system or treatment works; and (G) using digital infrastructure technology to increase the affordability of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services in rural areas; and (3) evaluates the results of the program.