Environmental Policy Innovation Center’s Post

When it comes to funding for clean drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure, did you know that the Town of Barnstable tops the list? Not mentioned in the article is where that funding is headed, and thanks to the 2024 Clean Water State Revolving Fund Draft Intended Use Plan, a lot will benefit Barnstable. The #1 rated project on the 2024 CWSFR Draft IUP is Barnstable's Nitrogen Removal Improvements & New Headworks Facility Project, followed by #3 the Route 28 West Sewer Expansion Project, and #15 the Phinney's Lane Neighborhoods Sewer Expansion 👏

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 included more than $50 billion in funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater management projects. It was a welcome federal investment for many communities that have struggled to keep water infrastructure in good repair in recent decades. And it anticipates a growing need for water infrastructure funding as existing systems age and climate change causes more extreme weather. Still, it doesn’t come close to matching the estimated demand in coming decades. #funding #waterinfrastructure

Worth a read from our friends at Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities regarding the Interior & Environment Appropriations bill. This underscores the need for robust state funding. https://lnkd.in/gGw2v8P3 #water #txwater #SRF #txlege

King County, Washington, is set to invest $10 billion in wastewater treatment and resilience projects over the next decade, with significant upgrades to reduce pollution and prepare for the impacts of climate change. The initiative received a major boost with a $194 million loan from the EPA as part of a larger $500 million loan package under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA). This funding will support 14 critical projects, including seismic updates at the West Point Treatment Plant and improvements to the sewer systems and recycled water systems in areas like Bellevue and Sammamish. The upgrades aim to reduce the amount of untreated stormwater and sewage that enters Puget Sound during storms. In 2017, a severe storm caused major flooding at West Point, releasing 244 million gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage into the water. Since then, the county has made efforts to reduce these overflows, cutting them from 30 billion gallons annually to 1 billion gallons. In addition to improving wastewater infrastructure, the sector is seeing nationwide investment, particularly with the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $50 billion for water infrastructure improvements across the U.S.

Clean water infrastructure and sanitary wastewater systems are the vital arteries keeping our district’s voters and families healthy. WASDA members have been working tirelessly to keep Americans connected to reliable clean water and wastewater services in our district. We are on the frontlines of implementing the billions of dollars in underground construction work funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and similar legislation and know first-hand how much more work still needs to be done. The most recent ASCE report card gives America’s Drinking Water infrastructure a C-, and Wastewater a D+, and both industry and government research forecast a trillion-dollar needs investment gap over the next 20 years. The EPA’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) provide essential federal funding for these projects. Both programs have historically been very successful but have been limited by the size of the federal appropriation. Progress is being made, but Congress must continue to provide essential support to meet our goals, or risk them slipping even further away. Water systems across the country have to make difficult choices about which projects to fund every day and are counting on a robust federal appropriation. Please ask your colleagues to support full funding for the State Revolving Fund programs and help support our industry’s mission to provide clean water for American communities. Tap the https://lnkd.in/g8YsQwHy follow updates on our government relations page. Eddie Morrison Theresa Jaime David Shaw Nathaniel Peirce Rory Budds JB Butler Troy Dressler Anne Forrest Tim Hallmark Doug K. Rich Schaefer Marty Mazzella Greg Davis Emma Wiegers Perry Kevin King Claire Morley Sam Peirce Greg Velz Jason Fraser

It's a new week, and new resiliency-focused grant funds are coming to states through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), among others. The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced a $147.6 million investment to help communities prepare and respond to water reliability challenges due to drought and other water scarcity concerns. The funding will support 42 projects in ten states to build or upgrade infrastructure, recharge aquifers, advance water recycling and treatment, and strengthen innovative technologies. Additionally, funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will be used to reduce the cost-share for some domestic water supplies projects, helping to bring clean, reliable drinking water to disadvantaged communities. It's encouraging to see so many new programs focused on leveraging technological innovation and critical infrastructure improvements for long-term solutions to challenges that affect us all. Rather than plastering a band-aid over important problems or scrambling to mitigate only immediate difficulties, the Federal government is funding forward-thinking initiatives that will set communities and the country up for safety and success for years to come. Which BIL programs is your state or agency participating in? Which ones are you most excited about? What projects have been proposed, and what role do industry partners play in the larger vision for how these grants will be used? https://lnkd.in/ghZn-83c

Partnerships between communities, water providers and state officials are crucial in ensuring Texas’ water availability in the future. Investments in water infrastructure are also investments in Texas’ ongoing prosperity. At last week’s Infrastructure Summit hosted by the North Texas Commission, I participated in a panel discussion on water availability in Texas. A big takeaway from the discussion was the importance of partnership for solving future water challenges in the state. During the panel, we discussed how municipalities and elected officials can collaborate to ensure our future water supply reliability by investing in maintaining aging infrastructure and encouraging ordinance changes that reduce water waste. As we plan for costly water “mega projects” in the future, we should consider if it’s appropriate for the State of Texas to take an ownership stake in these projects along with municipalities. As things stand, people in our communities primarily bear the cost of these projects through increases on the rates they pay for water. Increased investment in water infrastructure at the state level could help change that. Thanks to Justin Coppedge of Texas 2036, Patrick Lopez of Texas Water Development Board, and James Hill of Tarrant Regional Water District for the engaging panel discussion and for helping raise awareness of this critical issue for all Texans. North Texas Municipal Water District

Federal investments in water infrastructure are critical for rural, low-resourced communities that are in high need of infrastructure upgrades. In places like the Mississippi Delta where decades of persistent poverty, resource extraction, and environmental racism have left rural Black communities with outdated, aging water pipes, these communities are more susceptible to adverse health outcomes and stunted businesses development. Four of the five states in HOPE’s footprint are in the top ten among states for percent of housing units without complete plumbing facilities.  Some counties in the Mississippi Delta have as many as 19% of housing units without complete plumbing facilities. Earlier this year, the White House announced $5.8 billion for water infrastructure projects as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Federal agencies should direct funds for infrastructure programs to rural communities of color particularly in light of the legacy of local communities in fighting for adequate community infrastructure. Sara Miller writes on the civil rights legacy of water insecurity and why federal infrastructure are necessary for improving community outcomes in the Deep South. https://lnkd.in/eemTAjfx

I had the opportunity to visit with the The Dallas Morning News earlier this week about the challenges facing Texas' aging, deteriorating water infrastructure. Fixing these antiquated and leaking systems will cost us billions -- $61.3 billion to be exact -- over the next 20 years. Unfortunately, the recent course-correction in declining federal spending on local infrastructure is falling flat due to congressional earmarks. My colleague, Perry Fowler with the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN), offers some excellent insights on that problem here. I think the long-term solution to this escalating water crisis rests in the hands of the Texas Legislature and state voters. Last year, the Legislature and voters took an important step towards improving our state's financial strategy for addressing infrastructure needs with the creation of the $1 billion Texas Water Fund. That $1 billion falls well short of the total amount we will need to spend on fixing our leaking systems and expanding our water supply portfolio, however. The solution here, and as I point out to the DMN, involves the creation of a dedicated revenue stream for water infrastructure funding. https://lnkd.in/gpbXfkGC

NTMWD $820M budget funds regional infrastructure needs Insightful article into regional wastewater infrastructure and smaller sewer systems with the NTMWD #Texas #Water #Budgeting #Infrastructure #NTMWD