at risk of being unable to pay their water bills. (6) Low-income households are 3 times more likely than other households to have their utility service disconnected for unpaid or overdue bills. (7) An estimated 15,000,000 people in the United States experienced a water shutoff in 2016 with the highest shutoff rates in lower-income cities with higher rates of poverty and unemployment. (8) In 2017, total appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency for water infrastructure were 35 percent lower than the corresponding 2001 appropriations (adjusted for inflation) despite massive capital investments being needed for drinking water and wastewater systems. (9) Water accessibility is a fundamental element of public health, safety, welfare, and security. 202. Drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services assistance needs-based program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Environmentally at-risk household The term environmentally at-risk household means such a household, as defined by the Secretary after consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, considering factors such as— (A) the proximity of the household to an environmentally hazardous site, including a Superfund site or coal ash site (as such sites are defined by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Administration), or brownfield site (as defined in section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 ( 42 U.S.C. 9601 ))