U.S. EPA announces $41 million in funding for stormwater and sewer projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 9, 2024, the availability of nearly $41 million in funding through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program to help communities address stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs.
EPA’s grant funding is available to states to support projects in cities and towns that will strengthen their stormwater collection systems to be more resilient against increasingly intense rain events made worse by the climate crisis.
Through changes made by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), this grant program will prioritize stormwater infrastructure projects in small and/or financially distressed and disadvantaged communities and prevent cost share requirements from being passed on to these communities.
“Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, EPA is making grant funds available for stormwater solutions. Because it does not have to be paid back, this funding is especially effective in helping disadvantaged communities protect their waterways,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott in a press release.
Additional funding for stormwater and wastewater upgrades is available through BIL and EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation ACT (WIFIA) program.
Through the BIL EPA is providing $11.7 billion to states to upgrade wastewater infrastructure through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Additionally, the seventh round of EPA’s WIFIA financing is available, with $6.5 billion through WIFIA and $1 billion through SWIFIA.
