Water Finance

Last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, giving overall infrastructure in the United States a cumulative grade of C-. Although the report card finds the country is spending just over half of what is needed, it’s theRead More

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act, legislation to deliver additional COVID-19 relief that contains $500 million for low-income water utility bill assistance. This new funding for low-income water assistance comes in addition to the initial $638 million provided inRead More

The U.S. stormwater sector faces an estimated $8.5 billion annual funding gap, according to a survey by the Water Environment Federation (WEF). The funding shortfall exists as municipalities nationwide work to maintain water infrastructure, control pollution in waterways, and protect communities from flooding. The fundingRead More

Last week the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee marked up its contribution to the next COVID-19 relief bill last week. Included was an additional $500 million for the Low-Income Water Customer Assistance Program administered by Health and Human Services, bringing the potential totalRead More

By Ann Bui, Mike Orth & Bruce Allender The U.S. water industry has worked hard in recent years to remind people that potable water is not free. Procuring, treating, and distributing water is costly, and utilities need to cover their costs to make sure customers have safe drinkingRead More

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) today kicked off a new joint campaign that the two organizations are calling: Affordable Water, Resilient Communities. Local utilities and their customers face financial challenges after years of increasing local costs andRead More

A $1.9 trillion COVID-19 economic stimulus plan outlined by President Joe Biden proposes billions of dollars to help low-income families pay water and other utility bills while also offering additional funds to supplement the budgets of state and local governments. Called the American Rescue Plan, the President-elect’s proposal includesRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 55 new projects in 20 states are being invited to apply for approximately $5.1 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans. This funding will help finance more than $12 billion in clean water andRead More

Congress recently released the Fiscal Year 2021 Consolidated Appropriations bill. The legislation contains a provision to create the first ever Low-Income Household Drinking Water and Wastewater Emergency Assistance Program with $638 million in appropriations – an historic win for water accessibility and the first appropriation ofRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched the Clearinghouse for Environmental Finance (Clearinghouse), an online database of land, air, and water information. This new Clearinghouse catalogues available funding, financing, and instructional resources to aid communities in their efforts to improve environmental conditions. The Office ofRead More