The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the first round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Act funds for water infrastructure upgrades to 18 states throughout the country.
More than $1.1 billion in capitalization grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act have been awarded through the State Revolving Funds and further capitalization grants are expected to be issued, according to a Sept. 16 EPA news release.
“All communities need access to clean, reliable, safe water,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in the release. “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.”
These grants represent the first major deployment of funds for water infrastructure made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the release reported.
“President Biden has been clear, we cannot leave any community behind as we rebuild America’s infrastructure with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu said inthe release. "Because of his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, nearly half of the additional SRF funding will now be grants or forgivable loans, making accessing these critical water resources easier for small, rural and disadvantaged communities.”
Included in this initial round of funding are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia, according to the release.
