The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved legislation authorizing $14 billion over four years for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $16.5 billion over five years for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, along with 133 new feasibility studies for locally proposed water infrastructure projects. The funding authorization was included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) which authorizes funding for Corps of Engineers projects. Congress has enacted a bipartisan WRDA every two years since 2014.
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) said the bill is “a positive step toward strengthening the federal partnership needed to sustain safe and reliable water service.” AWWA’s 2026 State of the Water Industry survey found that water professionals are concerned about their ability to keep up with aging infrastructure and climate disruptions. Communities will need to invest $2.1 trillion to $2.4 trillion over the next 25 years to replace aging drinking water infrastructure, comply with regulations, address cybersecurity threats and shore up resiliency, it concluded in a separate report.
In addition to advocating for this bill, water stakeholders are urging Congress to maintain supplemental five-year water infrastructure funding from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act that is set to expire Sept. 30 and to reauthorize grant and technical assistance programs to address PFAS, lead pipes and other water infrastructure projects in fiscal year 2027. These programs are targeted for deep cuts in the Trump Administration’s FY 2027 budget request.