Senator Jim Inhofe looking for safe water funding

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma senator is seeking more money to help local governments meet the rising costs of clean and safe water.<br/><br/>Senator Jim Inhofe sent a letter to Budget Committee leaders

Tuesday, March 8th 2005, 6:17 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma senator is seeking more money to help local governments meet the rising costs of clean and safe water.

Senator Jim Inhofe sent a letter to Budget Committee leaders Monday informing them that his Environment and Public Works Committee approved more money for the loan funds tapped by municipalities to meet federal regulations for safe water.

A report from The Oklahoman's Washington bureau says Inhofe told committee leaders that the clean water loan fund was cut this year and President Bush is seeking more cuts in next year's budget.

Inhofe requested more money for the Clean Water Act and Safe Water Act loan funds, saying the nation's systems are aging and regulatory costs are increasing.

He wrote that the gap between what the nation spends on water infrastructure and what should be spent ranges between $3-billion and $23-billion a year.

Inhofe says much of the funding gap is due to the rising cost for municipalities to meet federal regulations as many treatment plants exceed their expected lifetime.