Water Infrastructure Improvement Act Incorporates Integrated Planning into Legislation

January 19, 2019

Laws & Regs

The Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (H.R. 7279) has passed the U.S. Congress and has been signed by the president. The bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for an integrated planning (IP) process and promote green infrastructure.

The bill defines IP as a developed plan that is consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach. It requires EPA to inform agencies on the opportunity to develop IPs that would result in a permit related to combined sewer overflows, capacity management plans for collection systems, stormwater discharges, and waste-load allocations related to total maximum daily loads.

According to the bill, projects eligible for an IP permit include those

  • reclaiming, recycling, or reusing water, and
  • incorporating green infrastructure, such as those using plant and soil systems, permeable pavement, stormwater harvesting, reuse, or landscaping to reduce flows to sewer systems or surface waters.
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