service lines. (8) Congress created the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds in 1996 to help eligible public water systems finance infrastructure projects in order to comply with Federal drinking water regulations and meet the health objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act. (9) The EPA is required periodically to conduct a survey of the capital improvement needs of eligible public water systems and distribute funding appropriated for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds among the States based on the results of the most recent survey. (10) In 2013, the EPA completed the most recent survey of the capital improvement needs of eligible public water systems and estimated that $384 billion in improvements are needed for the Nation’s drinking water infrastructure over 20 years in order to ensure the safety of drinking water. (11) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( Public Law 111–5 ) included $2 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to enable States to provide grants and financing assistance to eligible public water systems in order to improve drinking water infrastructure in communities throughout the United States. (12) Past appropriations for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are not sufficient to address the tremendous need for investments in drinking water infrastructure in communities throughout the United States. (13) Appropriating $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2017 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and allowing the funds to remain available for 6 years, will enable States to begin immediately to expand investments in drinking water infrastructure in communities throughout the United States. (14) Restricting appropriations for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds through the use of arbitrary budget caps or sequestration undermines economic recovery and job creation efforts