The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure package, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill approves five years’ funding of $55 billion to support drinking water infrastructure. U.S. President Joseph Biden is expected to soon sign and pass the bill.
Both the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds will see an additional $11.7 billion; general State Revolving Funds will receive $15 billion to address the identification and replacement of lead service lines and $10 billion to address emerging contaminants such as PFAS.
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The $10 billion to address emerging contaminants is through three separate programs: $5 billion will support the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Assistance to Small and Disadvantaged Communities Program and the State Response to Contaminants program to address emerging contaminants; $4 billion will support Drinking Water State Revolving Funds; and $1 billion will support Clean Water State Revolving Funds.
The American Water Works Association also released a statement on the passing of the act: "AWWA is grateful to U.S. Congress and President Biden for making water infrastructure a priority in enacting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. By reauthorizing the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and doubling funding for the drinking water State Revolving Fund, the federal government is helping states and local water providers to spur on critical water projects."
The bill invests $1 billion over five years in water recycling programs for the Western United States, which until now has received roughly $65 million per year through the Bureau of Reclamation. The bill also directs the Administration to establish a federal Interagency Working Group on Water Reuse, which will break down silos, leverage resources throughout the federal family and facilitate stakeholder engagement on water recycling.
Adam Krantz, CEO of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), said, “NACWA applauds the Biden Administration and leaders in both the House and Senate for working across party lines to pass critical infrastructure legislation that includes significant federal investments in public clean water services for state and local communities.”
Within the $1 billion for water recycling is $550 million for the Title XVI Water Reuse Grants Program and $450 million for a new competitive grant program for large-scale water recycling projects. Both programs will be administered by the Bureau of Reclamation.
Through the Alternative Water Source Grants Pilot Program, the EPA will provide competitive grants to state, interstate, and intrastate water resource development agencies to engineer, design, construct, and test alternative water source systems, including water recycling systems.
For stormwater infrastructure, the package approves $14.6 billion as part of re-authorizing the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants program and $16 billion to clean up polluted sites such as abandoned wells and mines.
The bill also launches a Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability program. With $125 million in initial funding, the program will award grants to public wastewater treatment facilities.
Patricia Sinicropi, Executive Director of the WateReuse Association, said, “Congress and the Administration recognize the essential role water recycling is playing in helping communities confront the impacts of climate change and build more resilient and sustainable water resources for their communities. This is an important day for water in the U.S.”
