Washington, DC - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet praised passage of the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Act by the Senate. The bill - which passed unanimously - would help small and rural communities comply with safe drinking water regulations. Bennet helped introduce the bill earlier this year with Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

"Colorado's rural water providers are working to ensure communities throughout our state have access to clean drinking water," Bennet said. "Some providers don't have access to the tools and resources that can help them meet safe drinking water standards. This bill ensures that technical assistance and training is there to help these providers find the support they need and provide clean drinking water for Colorado families."

The bipartisan bill reauthorizes the Safe Drinking Water Act's technical assistance and training provisions for $15 million per year over the next six years - the same as was previously authorized - to assist small and rural public water systems in complying with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.

More than 50,000 small and rural communities, comprising more than 90 percent of the drinking water supplies in the country, are responsible for providing safe, clean water to their citizens. The Environmental Protection Agency's technical assistance and training programs assist these communities in securing the necessary technical expertise to improve and protect their water resources. Colorado has approximately 2,200 small rural water systems, and the Colorado Rural Water Association has provided technical assistance through this program to more than half of them.

The last authorization of the bill expired in 2004. The bill now awaits House consideration.

# # #