Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
On May 13, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted a report to Congress detailing the necessary investments in clean water infrastructure over the next two decades. This includes upgrades to wastewater and stormwater systems as identified through the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey. The survey is a tool for states and U.S. territories to project future capital costs or investment needs required to maintain and modernize publicly owned wastewater treatment works, stormwater infrastructure, nonpoint source control, and decentralized wastewater treatment systems such as septic tanks.
These investments align with the Clean Water Act's objective of ensuring that our nation's waters are suitable for fishing and swimming. The 2022 survey provides an updated, comprehensive report on wastewater, stormwater, and other clean water infrastructure needs in the U.S., indicating that at least $630 billion will be needed over the next 20 years to safeguard our nation’s waterbodies.
Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott emphasized the importance of protecting our nation's waterways. He said, "Protecting our nations waterways is vital for healthy communities. They provide sources of drinking water, support farming, power economic opportunity and transport and allow for recreation and fishing." He added that this survey offers an important estimate of needs based on information collected from communities themselves.
The EPA has numerous federal funding resources available for communities and utilities to enhance crucial drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates a historic $50 billion investment in upgrading critical water infrastructure – with nearly $13 billion dedicated to wastewater and stormwater management. Since its inception in 1987, EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving fund has supported over $160 billion in infrastructure while EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program has issued over $43 billion in financing for water infrastructure projects since 2018.
This is the 17th survey conducted since the passage of the Clean Water Act over 50 years ago. The last survey was conducted in 2012. Along with the needs data, the survey also collected technical data from all existing treatment facilities (e.g., flow, population served, effluent level, etc.). As of January 2022, there are 17,544 POTWs serving 270.4 million Americans, or 82% of the population.
