The U.S. House of Representatives during the last week of June passed the Wastewater Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, a bipartisan, bicameral, and ACWA-supported legislation.
This legislation would require wipe manufacturers to clearly label their products as non-flushable to protect wastewater systems from pollution and structural damage, which can cost millions of dollars to repair critical infrastructure nationwide. The legislation passed by a unanimous voice vote, indicating broad support in the chamber.
The legislation would require wipe manufacturers to clearly label their products as non-flushable to protect wastewater systems from pollution and structural damage
The WIPPES Act was introduced in March by U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Lisa McClain (R-MI-10) and Tom Kean (R-NJ-07). Next, the WIPPES Act will be taken up in the U.S. Senate, where ACWA will continue to advocate for the bill’s swift passage.
Companion legislation (S.1092) was introduced by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and favorably reported out of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in May. ACWA has a support position for the WIPPES Act and supported the bill in the previous Congress. ACWA has submitted letters of support to the bill’s sponsors in both chambers, in addition to sending a letter to House leadership urging them to take up the bill for a floor vote.
Amid a lengthy and strenuous budget reconciliation process in Congress — alongside ongoing hearings and markups by authorizing and appropriating committees for the 2026 fiscal year and testimony from federal agency officials — there continues to be momentum for federal water priorities. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are advancing commonsense legislation to ensure public water agencies and utilities across the nation can continue delivering clean and accessible water to local communities.
