Notice of a Regional Project Waiver of Section 1605 (Buy American) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to the Central Iowa Water Association

EPA is hereby granting a waiver of the Buy American requirements of ARRA Section 1605 under the authority of Section 1605(b)(2) [manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality] to the Central Iowa Water Association (CIWA) for the purchase of ORION Water Meter Monitor with Leak Detection Indicator in-home water meter monitors manufactured in Malaysia by Eastech, Inc., under license from Badger Meter, Inc., located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is a project specific waiver and only applies to the use of the specified product for the ARRA project being proposed. Any other ARRA recipient that wishes to use the same product must apply for a separate waiver based on project specific circumstances. The waiver applicant states that the Badger in-home water meter monitors are the only devices that are compatible with the water meter heads installed by the CIWA. The Regional Administrator is making this determination based on the review and recommendations of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) staff. CIWA has provided sufficient documentation to support their waiver request. The Assistant Administrator of the Office of Administration and Resources Management has concurred on this decision to make an exception to Section 1605 of ARRA.