EPA Announces First Distribution of Infrastructure Law Funding to 18 States

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to the first 18 states across the country for water infrastructure improvements.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates more than $50 billion to the EPA toward repairing the nation’s essential water infrastructure, which helps communities access clean, safe and reliable drinking water, increase resilience, collect and treat wastewater to protect public health, clean up pollution, and safeguard vital waterways. More than $1.1 billion in capitalization grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have been issued to 18 states through the State Revolving Funds, with additional capitalization grants forthcoming. The grants mark the first significant distribution of water infrastructure funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“President Biden has been clear — we cannot leave any community behind as we rebuild America’s infrastructure with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” says White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. “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.”

EPA’s SRFs are part of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40% of the benefits from certain federal programs to underserved communities. Furthermore, nearly half the funding available through the SRFs thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law must be grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers.

EPA awarded SRF capitalization grants to 18 states, including: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Funding announced today represents Fiscal Year 2022 awards for states that have submitted and obtained EPA’s approval of their plans for use of the funding. Capitalization grants will continue to be awarded on a rolling state-by-state basis as more states receive approval throughout Fiscal Year 2022. States will also receive awards over the course of the next four years, according to the EPA. Once grants are awarded, state programs will begin to deliver the funds as grants and loans to communities across their state.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law presents the largest-ever funding opportunity for investing in water infrastructure. Find out more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs and other programs that help communities manage their water resources on EPA's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law page.



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