Federal Disaster and Emergency Assistance for Water Infrastructure Facilities and Supplies

RS22248 -- Federal Disaster and Emergency Assistance for Water Infrastructure Facilities and Supplies

September 9, 2005

Summary

Natural and other disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, can impair, contaminate, or destroy public water systems, including treatment facilities and distribution systems. Costs of addressing such damage can be substantial, while the potential public health and safety consequences of lost or impaired water supplies necessitate rapid responses. Natural and other disasters also can have calamitous impacts on other water infrastructure facilities, such as wastewater treatment plants and flood control systems. To help address such emergencies, Congress has authorized programs over the years that can provide emergency assistance to repair and restore drinking water, wastewater, and related water infrastructure systems and facilities. This report offers information on federal programs that can provide emergency drinking water, wastewater, and related assistance. These include the Public Assistance grant program (Federal Emergency Management Agency), Emergency and Imminent Community Water Assistance Grant Program and Emergency Watershed Protection Program (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Drinking Water Emergency Assistance (Environmental Protection Agency), and flood control and coastal emergency response (Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers). This report will be updated to reflect developments. (For a review of other federal water assistance programs, see CRS Report RL30478, Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs.)