Money can be loaned to communities for water infrastructure projects like replacing wells, repairing leaky water mains, and improving water treatment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that the State of Washington will receive more than $105 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
The annual funding, expanded under the Biden-Harris Infrastructure Law (BIL), is used by states to offer below-market-rate loans to communities to spend on projects to secure safe drinking water for current and future residents.
“This funding will allow communities around the state to get started on water infrastructure projects that can’t wait,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Aging wells, water mains, and other water supply infrastructure that are prone to leakage and contamination drive up water costs and pose health risks. Getting these projects moving will help get more clean drinking water flowing in our state.”
In 2022, communities in the State of Washington used more than $131 million in DWSRF funds for 31 water projects like well and water main replacements, water treatment plants, and seismic retrofits.
Funding can also be used to replace aging lead pipes and to mitigate contamination from per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are long-lasting chemicals widely used in commercial and industrial products that may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
Sen. Cantwell helped to craft the BIL and pushed to secure as much funding from the bill for Washington state as possible. For more than 30 years, the State Revolving Funds have been the foundation of water infrastructure investments, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America.
This allocation is the second of five years of nearly $44 billion in dedicated EPA funding that states, including Washington, will receive through the BIL. Nearly half of the total funding is 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.
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