The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has awarded $240 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding to Pennsylvania for water infrastructure improvements.
The BIL allocates over $50 billion for the nation’s water infrastructure through EPA. The announced grants will supplement the $67 million in fiscal year 2022 funding awarded for Pennsylvania’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs).
The allocations come as part of the first significant distribution of water infrastructure funding through the BIL across 18 states.
“All communities need access to clean, reliable, safe water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership and the resources from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are repairing aging water infrastructure, replacing lead service lines, cleaning up contaminants, and making our communities more resilient in the face of floods and climate impacts.”
“This is a tremendous investment in ensuring that Pennsylvanians have safe water to drink and clean, fishable, swimmable rivers and streams. These funds will help protect drinking water from old threats like lead pipes and new and emerging concerns like PFAS contamination,” said Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. “It will also help with investments into new and upgraded infrastructure like drinking water mains and treatment plants, conveyance and collection systems, wastewater treatment plants, and stormwater systems to help restore and grow Pennsylvania. The investment also provides a source of funding for non-point source pollution reduction projects located inside and outside of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.”
The funding represents the BIL awards for states that have submitted and obtained EPA’s approval of their plans for use of the funding. EPA says that SRF capitalization grants will continue to be awarded, on a rolling state-by-state basis, as more states receive approval throughout FY22; states will also receive awards over the course of the next four years. As grants are awarded, the state SRF programs can begin to distribute the funds as grants and loans to communities across their state.
More information about the funding and its planned projects are available at Pennsylvania’s SRF page.
