Pushing For Progress: DIPRA’s Federal Advocacy Update
The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) values the partnerships we have with utilities and engineers all across the country, and I wanted to update you on two priorities for DIPRA.
Federal investment in water infrastructure, particularly through the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs), is a top priority for DIPRA. While we are proud that hundreds of utilities across the country have iron pipe still in service after 100, 150 and even 200 years, we share your belief that now is the time for the federal government to provide the necessary investment so future generations have access to safe and reliable drinking and clean water infrastructure.
Along with the major water and engineering organizations, we have been pressing Congress to fund the two SRF programs at their authorized levels of $3.25 billion each. I was in Washington, DC with our three member companies, and we met with several key members of Congress to promote SRF funding. We will continue working together to ensure that we have the federal funding necessary to meet our nation’s water infrastructure needs now and in the future.
In addition to working for the necessary level of federal investment, we also continue to fight to ensure that utilities and engineers retain local and professional control over their water projects. Unfortunately, there are still active state and federal material preference efforts that would undermine your ability to design water projects to best serve your community and clients. We will continue to work with you to ensure that technical design decisions are made by engineers and utilities, not elected officials at the behest of interest groups.
We at DIPRA are committed to using every resource necessary to support our utility and engineering friends around the country. I, along with our Regional Engineers, stand ready to assist you in any way as we strive to ensure our customers continue to have safe, reliable drinking and clean water systems.
– David Cole
President, DIPRA
