At a recent virtual roundtable with state and community representatives, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored 49 water infrastructure projects for excellence and innovation within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water SRF programs. These exemplary projects demonstrate leadership in innovative financing, partnership and problem solving while improving water quality and public health protection.

“Through the power of partnership, EPA has helped states finance billions of dollars in water infrastructure investments for more than 30 years,” says EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “Today we celebrate projects that inspire continued partnership and innovation in addressing clean water and drinking water infrastructure needs in communities across the country.”

Since 1997, EPA has helped finance through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund more than $44.7 billion in water infrastructure and has accelerated investments by working with its state partners to increase the utilization and leveraging of the SRF programs.  

EPA’s AQUARIUS program celebrates innovation, sustainability and public health protection demonstrated by Drinking Water SRF programs and assistance recipients. Twenty-two projects by local governments and drinking water utilities were recognized by the 2021 AQUARIUS program, including the following exceptional projects:

• Excellence in Innovative Financing: East Central Oklahoma Water Authority, Oklahoma — Water Main Under the Arkansas River

• Excellence in System Partnerships: Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, New Mexico — Carnuel Water System Improvements, Phase I

• Excellence in Community Engagement: Marana, Arizona — Picture Rocks and Airline/Lambert Water Treatment Campuses

• Excellence in Public Health Protection: North Smithfield, Rhode Island — Mechanic Street Water Main Extension

• Excellence in Problem Solving: Maryland American Water, Maryland — Winters Run Water Treatment Plant Intake Improvements

EPA’s George F. Ames Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) program celebrates innovation demonstrated by Clean Water SRF programs and assistance recipients. Twenty-seven projects by state or local governments, public utilities and private entities were honored, including the following exceptional projects:

• Excellence in Innovative Financing: ReHarvest Partners, Iowa — ReHarvest Pay for Success

• Excellence in System Partnerships: Garber Farms Inc., Virginia — Riparian Buffer Improvement

• Excellence in Community Engagement: Nisqually Tribe in Washington — Mashel River Protection

• Excellence in Environmental and Public Health Protection: Flagstaff, Arizona — Flagstaff Watershed Protection

• Excellence in Problem Solving: Bartlesville Municipal Authority, Oklahoma — Indirect Potable Water Reuse

The SRFs are EPA-state partnerships that provide communities with a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality and drinking water infrastructure projects. Since their inception, EPA’s SRFs have provided more than $189 billion in financial assistance to nearly 43,000 water quality infrastructure projects and 16,300 drinking water projects across the country.

In 2022, EPA will allocate EPA will allocate $7.4 billion to states, Tribes and territories, with nearly half of this funding available as grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers. The 2022 allocation is the first of five years of nearly $44 billion in dedicated EPA SRF funding that states will receive through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

To see the full list of recognized projects and learn more about the AQUARIUS and PISCES Programs, visit: https://www.epa.gov/dwsrf and https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf.

For a breakdown of EPA funding by SRF program, and additional funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit: https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure.