Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) said April 21 that he hopes to release a draft of a bill to establish a water trust fund in "a matter of weeks," timed to accompany a Government Accountability Office report on possible revenue sources.rnBlumenauer said he and other supporters of the water trust fund idea plan to propose a bill that would expand eligibility for federal assistance through the state revolving funds for drinking water and clean water.rnSpeaking to a conference of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), Blumenauer said he wanted the rules on revolving funds to allow grants and loans that will help pay for planning, design, and associated pre-construction costs. He also said the aid should be made available for water-related research, security provisions, energy efficiency, and replacement of aging infrastructure.
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