상하양원의회는 시범 Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority(WIFIA)를 제정하기 위한 법을 발표했다. WIFIA는 미국의 노후화된 물 기반시설의 재사용 비용을 절감하고 미국 물 시설과 고객을 위한 중요한 성공이다.

미국 물 산업 협회(AWWA)와 물 환경 연맹(WEF)는 WIFIA는 지역사회가 본질적인 물과 폐수 시설 프로젝트를 적은 비용과 소비자의 돈을 절감할 수 있는 중요한 새로운 재정 도구라며 찬사를 보냈다.

a House-Senate committee released legislation to create a pilot Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA) that would lower the cost of renewing America's aging water infrastructure -- an important victory for U.S. water utilities and their customers.

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) praised WIFIA as an important new finance tool to help communities address essential water and wastewater infrastructure projects at a lower cost, saving consumers money on their water bills.

"The imminent creation of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority is a significant breakthrough in confronting the U.S. water infrastructure challenge," said David LaFrance, CEO of AWWA. "WIFIA will reduce the financing costs of critical infrastructure projects, allowing communities to fix and expand water systems at a lower cost to their customers. Our elected representatives and senators deserve our gratitude."

The creation of a WIFIA is part of the larger Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), which now advances for formal approval in the U.S. House and Senate. It is expected to be swiftly passed by both chambers and signed into law by President Barack Obama. WIFIA will provide low-interest federal loans to communities to reduce the cost of financing large water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

"We at WEF know that continued progress on clean water will require innovative technological practices and also innovative financing," said Dr. Eileen O'Neill, executive director of the WEF. "The WIFIA pilot program included in this bill offers municipal water leaders an additional way to finance their infrastructure needs."

While AWWA and WEF praised WIFIA as an important step forward, the associations also called for future adjustments to allow the program to achieve its full potential. The pilot program limits WIFIA funding to 49 percent of projects and prohibits tax-exempt financing for the remaining portions.

"WIFIA will be most effective when communities can fund 100 percent of project costs, and any non-WIFIA share should be allowed to be financed with tax-exempt debt," LaFrance said. "We are committed to working with our leaders in Congress and our colleagues in the water community to build off today's success."

If a utility saves just two percentage points on the interest rate for a 30year loan, it means 25 percent savings in the financing of a project. On large projects, the savings can amount to hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise be absorbed through customer bills over many years.

AWWA, WEF, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the Water and Sewer Distributors of America and other water and civic organizations have written letters, placed calls, and met hundreds of times with senators and representatives to promote the benefits of WIFIA and gradually build support.

In 2012, AWWA published a comprehensive report titled Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge, which demonstrated that Americans will have to invest more than $1 trillion over the next 25 years to repair and expand U.S. drinking water infrastructure. The report observed that wastewater costs are likely similar. The report also showed that deferring needed investments dramatically raises the future costs.

[출처 = Water World/ 2014년 5월 22일]