CHICAGO (April 4, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $242,864,000 to Ohio for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades across the state through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Thanks to a $6 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is increasing the investments available to rebuild the nation’s water infrastructure.
“Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s infrastructure investments, we have an unprecedented opportunity to revitalize America’s drinking water systems, support the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of removing 100% of lead pipes across our country, and protect communities from PFAS pollution.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing long overdue resources to our nation’s drinking water infrastructure,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “The funding being announced today will go towards providing safe, reliable drinking water to Ohio residents for generations to come.”
“Families shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not the water coming out of the faucet is safe for their children to drink,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown. “Because of the investments we made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Ohio communities will be able to replace old pipes, using American-made materials and installed by American workers, and will ensure that these investments reach even more Ohioans.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will bring historic support, more than $6 Billion, to states, Tribes, and territories to address communities’ critical drinking water infrastructure needs including toxic lead service line replacement and addressing threats from emerging contaminants like PFAS,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur. “Despite this increased investment in drinking water security, EPA estimates that $625 billion will be required to ensure that water systems can continue to provide safe drinking water to the public. We must take a stand against those who seek to cut the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund in fiscal year 2024 and deliver on our responsibility to ensure that drinking water from taps across Ohio and America is safe to drink. I hope to garner the support of my Republican colleagues to protect this vital funding.”
“No Ohioan should have to worry if their water is safe when they turn on the tap. This $6.5 billion dollar investment in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund made possible by the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will strengthen our water infrastructure systems, improve our economic prosperity, and ensure every American has clean water to drink. This investment will be especially beneficial to communities in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, many of which have aging water infrastructures,” said Rep. Emilia Sykes. “As the Vice Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I am proud to support efforts like these that improve the health of our communities by making our water safer.”
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to strengthening the nation’s water infrastructure, while providing significant resources to address key challenges, including climate change, emerging contaminants like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and cybersecurity.
The DWSRF allotments to states are based on the results of EPA’s 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA). The survey, which is required by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, assesses the nation’s public water systems’ infrastructure needs every four years and the findings are used to allocate DWSRF grants to states. The drinking water utilities need $625 billion in infrastructure investments over the next 20 years to ensure the nation’s public health, security, and economic well-being.
At the direction of Congress, EPA’s 7th Drinking Water Assessment, for the first time included survey questions focused on lead service lines and is projecting a national total of 9.2 million lead service lines across the country. This best available national and state-level projections of service line counts will help advance a unique opportunity to employ a separate lead service line allotment formula for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Funding that is based on need. Almost $3 billion of the funding announced today will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement, taking a key step toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of achieving 100% lead free water systems.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing over $50 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between FY 2022 and FY 2026. In its second year of implementation, $6 billion of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will be available to states, Tribes, and territories through the DWSRF. Of that funding, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $3 billion in lead service line identification and improvement, $800 million to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and $2.2 billion in other critical drinking water system improvements. Additionally, approximately $500 million will also be available through the DWSRF annual appropriations, established by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
EPA is committed to ensuring every community has access to this historic investment and has centralized increasing investment in disadvantaged communities within its implementation. The implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law calls for strong collaboration, and EPA continues to work in partnership with states, Tribes, and territories to ensure that communities see the full benefits of this investment. In addition, EPA is strengthening its water technical assistance programs to support communities in assessing their water needs and apply for their fair share of this historic investment.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.
More information, including state-by-state allocation of 2023 funding and information on the DWINSA.
More information on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Background
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments mandated that EPA conduct an assessment of the nation’s public water systems’ infrastructure needs every four years and use the findings to allocate DWSRF capitalization grants to states.
The DWSRFs have been the foundation of water infrastructure investment for more than 25 years, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America. Since its inception, states have provided almost $53 billion through DWSRF programs to water systems for approximately 18,000 projects. Each state receives an allocation percentage that is based directly on its proportional share of the total need for all 50 States and Puerto Rico. The percentage made available to any individual state ranges from 1% to almost 11%, with each state guaranteed a minimum of 1% of the total amount available to states. Due to any individual state’s share of the total state need, some states will see increases or decreases in the percentage of funding they receive.
from EPA News Releases https://ift.tt/Dp1Qlsf