Golden Mussel Bill Authorizes $15M Annually for Tech to Protect US Water Infrastructure Through 2030

The newly proposed Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act of 2025 is setting up a federally coordinated, five-year offensive against the invasive golden mussel. Essentially, this bill launches a comprehensive Golden Mussel Demonstration Program and authorizes Congress to set aside up to $15 million every year from 2026 through 2030 to fund it. The main goal is to protect critical infrastructure—like the pipes that bring you clean water—from being clogged by these fast-spreading pests.

Why Your Water Bill Might Care

This isn't just an environmental problem; it’s an infrastructure headache. Golden mussels are notorious for attaching themselves to everything, especially the inside of water intakes, conveyance pipes, and screens used by utilities. When these pipes get clogged, it drives up maintenance costs for water treatment plants and power generation facilities, costs that often get passed down to consumers. This bill aims to stop that by requiring a federal Task Force to partner with state agencies, ports, and local groups to create specific plans for prevention, monitoring, and, crucially, eradication. Initially, the program will focus on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, but the Task Force can expand it to any other U.S. waters that are infested or likely to become infested.

The Search for a Better Mousetrap (or Musseltrap)

One of the most interesting parts of this Act is the creation of a competitive grant program. The federal Task Force will award money to states, universities, and private companies to develop new, effective technologies to remove golden mussels from infrastructure like pipes, boat hulls, and fish screens. Think of it as a government-funded startup incubator for mussel-killing tech. If a successful technology emerges, the Task Force can strike a deal to speed up its use across the country. This provision is key because current methods are often expensive and inefficient, so finding a technological breakthrough could save taxpayers and utility customers a lot of money in the long run.

New Rules for Boaters and Infrastructure Owners

While the bill focuses heavily on technology and research, it also mandates practical, real-world changes. The Task Force must develop official guidelines for control and eradication within one year, which includes setting up watercraft inspection stations. This means if you own a boat, you might soon face new requirements or costs when moving your vessel between waterways to ensure you aren't accidentally transporting these mussels. Furthermore, the Task Force can delegate the job of carrying out these complex eradication plans to qualified state or local entities, like your local port authority or water district. This is designed for efficiency, ensuring the people who know the local waterways best are the ones implementing the solutions, but it also places the responsibility—and potentially the regulatory burden—on those local groups to get the job done.