Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) has praised the inclusion of key investments for Western Illinois in the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA). This legislation authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to carry out significant water infrastructure upgrades across the country.
Thanks to Sorensen’s advocacy, the bill passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with specific investments for the City of Savanna and the Village of Sherrard. These investments aim to provide reliable drinking water for Savanna and improve wastewater facilities in Sherrard. The bill will now move to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
Sorensen emphasized the importance of improving water infrastructure for the health and well-being of communities. He expressed his commitment to ensuring that the projects for Western Illinois are included in the final bill. “Improving our water infrastructure is so important for the health and well-being of our neighbors. I fought hard to ensure our communities were included in this bipartisan water infrastructure bill, and I’m thrilled to see the package referred out of committee with crucial projects for Western Illinois intact,” said Sorensen. “While this is a big step to providing reliable wastewater and drinking water services and making our communities healthier, we still have more work to do to get this funding across the finish line. I remain committed to seeing this through to the end and delivering on the projects included in this bill.”
Passed every two years, WRDA is a comprehensive water infrastructure package that authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects to improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other aspects of water resources infrastructure.
The current package includes a combined $9 million for the communities of Savanna and Sherrard to enhance their drinking water and wastewater infrastructure systems. If the final WRDA bill passes through the House and Senate, and funding is secured in Congress’ FY26 appropriations bill, Savanna could receive up to $2 million and Sherrard up to $7 million.
Earlier this year, Sorensen testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to advocate for these investments. His efforts were crucial in ensuring that the needs of these Western Illinois communities were addressed in the WRDA.
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The inclusion of these projects in the WRDA highlights the ongoing need for infrastructure improvements to support the health and safety of local communities. Sorensen’s dedication to these issues reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that essential services like drinking water and wastewater management are reliable and up-to-date.
