EPA Announces Plan for Largest Clean Water Investment in U.S. History
$50 Billion for Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Prioritizes Investment in Disadvantaged Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its guidelines for distributing $50 billion dollars in infrastructure funding for clean water, which represents the largest single investment in drinking water and wastewater systems in U.S. history. Recognizing that disadvantaged communities have disproportionately high exposure to unsafe and polluted water, the EPA will prioritize equitable access for those communities through grants and forgivable loans.
The following are reactions by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) water advocates:
“Today’s announcement will make a world of difference for public health and environmental justice in areas that federal infrastructure programs have passed over for far too long. By prioritizing grants for disadvantaged communities, the EPA will provide much-needed help installing safe sanitation systems and preventing raw sewage from spilling into waterways,” said Rebecca Hammer, NRDC’s Deputy Director of Federal Water Policy.
“The EPA’s once-in-a-lifetime investment of $50 billion for clean water is a big step toward fixing the broken system that has made so many people unable to trust the drinking water from their home taps. The historic investment in repairing our troubled drinking water systems in the bipartisan infrastructure law can make a big difference to families in communities that need the help most,” said Erik D. Olson, Senior Strategic Director for Health at NRDC.
Additional Resources:
- Principles of Lead Service Line Replacement (Erik Olson blog, March 1, 2022)
- Testimony: Making Water Infrastructure Resilient & Equitable (Rebecca Hammer testimony at a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee, April 21, 2021)
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.