The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3.6 billion in new funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade water infrastructure and keep communities safe. Combined with $2.6 billion announced earlier this month, this $6.2 billion in investments for Fiscal Year 2025 will help communities nationwide make essential water infrastructure upgrades to safely manage wastewater, protect local freshwater resources, and deliver safe drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses.
These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will flow through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF and DWSRF), a long-standing federal-state water investment partnership. This multibillion-dollar investment will fund state-run, low-interest loan programs to address key challenges in financing water infrastructure. Today’s announcement includes allotments for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean Water General Supplemental funds for Arizona ($16,807,000), Clean Water Emerging Contaminants funds ($1,451,000), and $13,365,000 under the Drinking Water Emerging Contaminants Fund.
This funding is part of a five-year, $50 billion investment in water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the largest water infrastructure investment in American history. To ensure investments reach communities that need them the most, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law mandates that most of the funding announced today must be provided to disadvantaged communities through grants or forgivable loans.
“This is an important step toward ensuring every Arizonan has access to clean, safe, and reliable water. I’m grateful to the EPA for once again investing in Arizona’s water infrastructure and providing resources to keep all Arizonans healthy,” said Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. “Securing Arizona’s water future and upgrading our state’s water infrastructure are priorities I will continue to address.”
“Water keeps us healthy, sustains vibrant communities and dynamic ecosystems, and supports economic opportunity. When our water infrastructure fails, it threatens people’s health, peace of mind, and the environment,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic investment in water, EPA is working with states, territories, and local partners to upgrade infrastructure and address local challenges—from lead in drinking water to PFAS to water main breaks, to sewer overflows and climate resilience. Together, we are creating good-paying jobs while ensuring that all people can rely on clean and safe water.”
“Access to clean drinking water and dependable wastewater infrastructure is fundamental to the quality of life for all people in Arizona and all Americans,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “This investment, through unprecedented funding from the Biden-Harris Administration, will be instrumental in upgrading water infrastructure and supporting local jobs, economic resiliency, and long-term sustainability for communities throughout the Pacific Southwest.”
EPA’s Water Technical Assistance program is designed to level the playing field by providing historically excluded, disadvantaged communities the capacity building and assistance needed to effectively identify water challenges, develop infrastructure upgrade plans, and apply for funding. Communities seeking Water Technical Assistance can request support by completing the WaterTA request form. These efforts also advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, who continue to be disproportionately harmed by underinvestment, over-pollution, and lack of equitable funding.
