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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), introduced Eric Volk, Executive Director of the North Dakota Rural Water Systems Association, during a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) hearing.

Panelists provided a variety of perspectives on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) which authorized $55 billion in funding for a range of water infrastructure programs, including grants for small and disadvantaged communities, lead service line replacement and emerging contaminants, support for innovative water technologies, and funding for wastewater treatment and stormwater management. Most of this funding is set to flow through the State Revolving Loan Funds programs, which helped deliver $63 million in water infrastructure funding to North Dakota in 2022, approximately $44 million more than the state received in 2021.

                                             

Senator Cramer began by questioning Mr. Volk about the State Revolving Loan Funds programs and how its funding formula has benefited rural states like North Dakota, as well as the value technical assistance provides to rural water systems across the state. 

“This applies not just to water but certainly to the highway piece of it as well, and that is to have a formula that consistently recognizes rural states and the unique needs of rural states and we don't have a formula that simply sends all the money to large population centers […] Could you speak a little bit to the importance of the formula piece of this?” asked Senator Cramer. “Because the formula is often challenged when it's time to re-evaluate and reauthorize the programs […] In all my years in Congress, whenever this came up, the thing I hear the most from the rural systems is the value of technical assistance.”

“As a small state, we get minimally funded and we're okay with that just as long as we are not adversely affected by any formula change based on population alone, and with the technical assistance, that's the heart of our association. […] My staff is going in there day in and day out helping with finding leaks, fixing things, helping them fill out loan applications, helping them connect to the funding sources, helping them hire an engineer, if they don't have that. […] The technical assistance is really, to us, the boots on the ground,” replied Mr. Volk.

Senator Cramer concluded by addressing the workforce shortage in rural America’s drinking water and wastewater sector and asked for feedback on a path forward to ensure these critical services continue to be delivered in our communities.

“There is a serious workforce problem in this country. In your testimony, you said you expect something like 50 percent of the workforce in your industry will be leaving within 10 years. What’s the plan? How do we deal with this, or do we just recruit more humans?” asked Senator Cramer.

“Part of that problem we're trying to address is with our apprenticeship program. Like I said in my testimony, there's 36 [National Rural Water apprenticeship] states and North Dakota is one of them. We are relatively new in the process of apprenticeship. […] We're trying to change the narrative, change the culture where these are a true profession. It's a great, great noble profession. They do great work every day. We’re just working hard to use the apprenticeship program to get the next generation of workers,” replied Mr. Volk.

“This applies not just to water but certainly to the highway piece of it as well, and that is to have a formula that consistently recognizes rural states and the unique needs of rural states and we don't have a formula that simply sends all the money to large population centers […] Could you speak a little bit to the importance of the of the formula piece of this?” asked Senator Cramer. “Because the formula is often challenged when it's time to re-evaluate and reauthorize the programs […] In all my years in Congress, whenever this came up, the thing I hear the most from the rural systems is the value of technical assistance.”

“This applies not just to water but certainly to the highway piece of it as well, and that is to have a formula that consistently recognizes rural states and the unique needs of rural states and we don't have a formula that simply sends all the money to large population centers […] Could you speak a little bit to the importance of the of the formula piece of this?” asked Senator Cramer. “Because the formula is often challenged when it's time to re-evaluate and reauthorize the programs […] In all my years in Congress, whenever this came up, the thing I hear the most from the rural systems is the value of technical assistance.”

“This applies not just to water but certainly to the highway piece of it as well, and that is to have a formula that consistently recognizes rural states and the unique needs of rural states and we don't have a formula that simply sends all the money to large population centers […] Could you speak a little bit to the importance of the of the formula piece of this?” asked Senator Cramer. “Because the formula is often challenged when it's time to re-evaluate and reauthorize the programs […] In all my years in Congress, whenever this came up, the thing I hear the most from the rural systems is the value of technical assistance.”