# Summary
The Half-Century Update for Water Access and Affordability Act establishes a new federal low-income water assistance program to help eligible households pay water bills and maintain access to drinking water and sewer services. The bill defines low-income households as those receiving certain federal benefits or earning no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level or 80 percent of area median income, whichever is greater. The program would be administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and allow delegation to states, water utilities serving over 100,000 people, and Native American tribes. The bill authorizes $20 billion annually from 2025 through 2035 to fund direct bill assistance, debt relief, emergency water crisis help, and water efficiency upgrades for low-income households, along with technical assistance for water systems and community outreach. The legislation also modifies existing water infrastructure loan programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act to increase transparency, require more public input, expedite assistance to disadvantaged communities, and improve data collection on how funds are distributed across states and communities.