U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 2152h. Assistance to provide safe water and sanitation

(a) Purposes

The purposes of assistance authorized by this section are—

(1) to promote good health, economic development, poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, conflict prevention, and environmental sustainability by providing assistance to expand access to safe water and sanitation, promoting integrated water resource management, and improving hygiene for people around the world;

(2) to seek to reduce by one-half from the baseline year 1990 the proportion of people who are unable to reach or afford safe drinking water and the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015;

(3) to focus water and sanitation assistance toward the countries, locales, and people with the greatest need;

(4) to promote affordability and equity in the provision of access to safe water and sanitation for the very poor, women, and other vulnerable populations;

(5) to improve water efficiency through water demand management and reduction of unaccounted-for water;

(6) to promote long-term sustainability in the affordable and equitable provision of access to safe water and sanitation through the creation of innovative financing mechanisms such as national revolving funds, and by strengthening the capacity of recipient governments and communities to formulate and implement policies that expand access to safe water and sanitation in a sustainable fashion, including integrated planning;

(7) to secure the greatest amount of resources possible, encourage private investment in water and sanitation infrastructure and services, particularly in lower middle-income countries, without creating unsustainable debt for low-income countries or unaffordable water and sanitation costs for the very poor; and

(8) to promote the capacity of recipient governments to provide affordable, equitable, and sustainable access to safe water and sanitation.

(b) Authorization

To carry out the purposes of subsection (a) of this section, the President is authorized to furnish assistance for programs in developing countries to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation.

Assistance provided under subsection (b) of this section shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be used to—

(1) expand affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation for underserved populations;

(2) support the design, construction, maintenance, upkeep, repair, and operation of water delivery and sanitation systems;

(3) improve the safety and reliability of water supplies, including environmental management; and

(4) improve the capacity of recipient governments and local communities, including capacity-building programs for improved water resource management.

(d) Local currency

The President may use payments made in local currencies under an agreement made under title I of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to provide assistance under this section.

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