Although the federal legislation dubbed The Clean Water Affordability Act would certainly address water we drink, it could have a big impact locally on how Ironton and other communities get rid of their water.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat representing Ohio, proposed this law, one that we hope his fellow legislators approve because it could have a massive impact on the city of Ironton and its residents.

One of the primary components of the federal legislation is the relief it could provide to municipalities dealing with aging combined sewer overflow systems like Ironton’s.

Several years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency mandated that communities put plans into place that eliminate systems that allow for stormwater and wastewater to mix and be discharged into the environment, a costly proposition for which the government did not provide any funding.

If Brown’s legislation would pass there are variety of positive changes incorporated including allowing the city a larger window in which to get these upgrades completed, providing some funding for projects like this and preventing future penalties by the EPA.

This type of relief could translate to savings for Ironton citizens because it could allow the city to revisit its current CSO fee set at $2 per thousand gallons of water used.

Mayor Rich Blankenship said he talked with Brown about how important this legislation would be and is hopeful that it is passed.

At a time when almost everyone in Washington seems to be entrenched in partisan bickering, it is encouraging to see that Brown is proposing common sense legislation that could eliminate an unfunded mandate that put many communities in difficult situations.

Ultimately this can help improve the quality of life in communities across Ohio. That is what we want to see from our lawmakers.