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The American Composites Manufacturers Assn. (ACMA, Arlington, VA. US) on Oct. 24 praised President Trump and the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the House Energy & Commerce Committee on the enactment of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act. The bill authorizes water infrastructure projects developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers and will strengthen ports, harbors, and waterways, and will create and sustain jobs.

In particular, ACMA praises the inclusion of Section 1208, directing the Corps to study the performance of innovative materials like composites in water resources infrastructure and report to Congress on opportunities for their broader deployment.

“This provision will lead to the modernization of the Corps of Engineers’ codes and guidelines so that innovative solutions can be commonly used rather than just in pilot projects periodically, as it has been the case,” says Tom Dobbins, president and CEO of ACMA. “These materials have been proven and now should be the standard so that our infrastructure is more resilient and longer lasting.”

The legislation also includes the Securing Required Funding for Water Infrastructure Now, or SRF WIN Act, that provides new funding for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and makes critical improvements to the WIFIA loan approval process.