To begin implementation of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) enacted earlier this summer, the Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) is hosting online listening sessions (via webinar) to solicit public input on key aspects of WRRDA. The Corps hopes that the sessions will inform its staff as it begins to implement the legislation.

As we’ve discussed before (see our June 11 and June 18 blog posts), among the provisions of WRRDA most likely to benefit CWC members are those authorizing alternative financing of water infrastructure projects. WRRDA addresses ways to fund the billions of dollars necessary to update the country’s water systems by creating the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), which will provide credit assistance for drinking water, wastewater, and water resources infrastructure projects, and by authorizing a public-private partnership (P3) pilot program promoting these types of projects. Both WIFIA and P3s promise to expand the pipeline for and speed the delivery of these projects, creating valuable opportunities for our members. The Corps session covering this alternative water infrastructure financing will be held on August 27 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time. This is your time to ask questions and offer your thoughts on how WRRDA’s water project financing should work!

All sessions will be open to the public by webinar only and are expected to last two to three hours. Each public contributor to the session will be permitted to talk for a specified length of time. The Corps is also encouraging interested parties to contribute comments or recommendations in writing.

For more information, including how to log in to participate in these sessions, click here.