McCollum Amendment to Improve Nation's Water Quality Passes House

Press Release

Congresswoman Betty McCollum's (MN-04) amendment to the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act (H.R. 1145), which establishes a comprehensive federal approach to water quality research that leverages all national and local partners, today passed the full House during a final vote. The amendment expands the larger bill to include a provision to evaluate the nation's water supply, in light of increased risk due to chemical contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine disrupting compounds.

"My amendment responds to the growing concern over chemical impairments in our water supply and adds an important research objective to our national water policy. We know enough about these contaminants to be worried, but not enough to provide good information to our state health officials or our constituents. Research on these contaminants must become a federal priority," said Congresswoman McCollum.

The amendment, approved by the House, adds water quality as a primary focus of the bill, in addition to water quantity. Further, it places specific emphasis on scientific research of the impact of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine disrupting compounds. Researchers have found that exposure to these contaminants can produce deformities and reproductive problems in aquatic species and insects. In addition, the measure leverages the existing regional network of 54, federally-funded, and grossly under-utilized, National Institutes for Water Resources located at higher education institutions across the country to support federal initiatives in water quality research.

"The National Water Research and Development Initiative Act has been greatly strengthened by Congresswoman McCollum's amendment, by emphasizing the connection between water quantity and water quality, and ensuring that the federal network of Water Resources Research Institutes will provide their expertise to the process of setting national water priorities," said Deborah Swackhamer, PhD., Co-Director of the Water Resources Center at the University of Minnesota.

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