In an effort to leverage more funding for better sewer maintenance, many sewer districts are in support of a plan to tax some kinds of bottled drinks. (Photo by Pam Roth)
Sewage treatment districts are looking for more money to
fund repairs and upgrades to the nation’s sewage systems. One idea they’re discussing is a seven percent tax on many types of bottled beverages. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Chuck Quirmbach
reports:
Transcript
Sewage treatment districts are looking for more money to
fund repairs and upgrades to the nation’s sewage systems. One idea
they’re discussing is a seven percent tax on many types of bottled
beverages. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Chuck Quirmbach
reports:
A group representing 300 sewer districts around the U.S says a Clean
Water Trust Fund is needed for infrastructure projects. Ken Kirk is
Executive Director of the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage
Agencies. He says there isn’t enough public money to maintain the sewers
built
decades ago and reduce sewer overflows into rivers and lakes.
“We’ve gone from a grants program to a state revolving loan
program which is important but gets cut each and every year.”
So Kirk’s group will meet with industry lobbyists in Washington D.C.
this month and talk about other funding sources. One idea is to
create a national tax on all bottled drinks except for milk, juice,
baby formula and health drinks.
Kirk says polling shows people support having a dedicated source of funding for clean water. But a major brewer plans to fight the proposal. Miller Brewing says forty-four percent of the price of its beer already goes to taxes.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Chuck Quirmbach.