WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1.9 billion in grant funding to the State Revolving Funds (SRF) to accelerate progress on water infrastructure projects. Combined with historic investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding will help states, Tribes, and territories upgrade water infrastructure to provide safe drinking water, protect vital water resources, and create thousands of new jobs in communities across the country.
“Our nation’s water infrastructure is in significant need of upgrades to support communities that rely on it day-in and day-out. With this funding provided through annual appropriations, coupled with investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is providing $9.6 billion in the SRFs to deliver the benefits of water infrastructure investments to more communities—especially those that have long been overburdened by water challenges,â€Â said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox.
In 2022, EPA is providing approximately $3.2 billion to the Clean Water SRFs, including $1.2 billion in new base federal grant funding being announced today and $2 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This total investment represents a near doubling of annual investment in the Clean Water SRF to support a wide range of water infrastructure projects, including modernizing aging wastewater infrastructure, implementing water reuse and recycling, and addressing stormwater. More than $47 million in direct grant funding is available to Tribes, certain U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia for infrastructure projects.
EPA is also providing $6.4 billion to the Drinking Water SRFs, including $728 million in new base federal grant funding announced today and $5.7 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This total investment represents a six-fold increase in annual investment to help drinking water systems remove lead service lines, install treatment for contaminants, and improve system resiliency to natural disasters such as floods. More than $32 million in direct grant funding is available to Tribes, certain U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia to use for drinking water system upgrades.
“States are eager to put these annual Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to work in conjunction with the unprecedented funding provided for the SRFs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and some states’ use of American Rescue Plan funding for water infrastructure. These combined funds will allow states to address critical infrastructure challenges and to support projects in communities across the country bringing significant public health and environmental benefits,” said President of the Environmental Council of the States and Secretary of the Maryland Department of Environment Ben Grumbles.
EPA encourages states, Tribes, and territories to strategically deploy SRF funding through the BIL alongside SRF base funding and other water infrastructure financing tools to make rapid progress on their most pressing needs. The agency is continuing to work with states, Tribes, and territories to ensure that disadvantaged communities fully benefit from historic investments in the water sector.
