A group of water sector organizations and technology companies are asking the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) to expand Build America, Buy America (BABA) waivers for all EPA-funded water and wastewater infrastructure projects through the end of 2024, AMWA says. The associations and companies are asking for clear guidance on howRead More

The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), representing large U.S. drinking water systems, submitted a pair of comments this month pertaining to proposed waivers of Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements for EPA program-funded projects. EPA has previously proposed temporary public interest waivers for projects funded by the Water Infrastructure Finance andRead More

By John Ryan U.S. public infrastructure renewal was never going to be easy, but several current trends suggest that it will soon be even more challenging. Federal infrastructure loan programs are a proven policy tool, and their capabilities should be expanded in specific and practical ways to prepare for theRead More

The Senate last week approved its 2022 version of the Water Resources Development Act, biennial legislation that authorizes a variety of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects and studies. The Senate’s amended version of H.R. 7776 passed by a tally of 93–1, and it will now be usedRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the 2022 notices of funding availability for the agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program and the State Infrastructure Financing Authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) program. This year’s funding will provide up to $6.5 billion in total funding to support $13 billionRead More

A rising interest rate environment could prove a boon for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, according to a new Fitch Ratings report. The WIFIA loan program has been hugely successful for U.S. water utilities but is currently oversubscribed. The size of the WIFIA program has increasedRead More

By Chad Praul & John Ryan “If you need to go fast, go alone. If you need to go far, go together.” Classic proverbs about everyday life aren’t usually relevant to topics like innovative federal financing for U.S. public infrastructure renewal. But here’s an exception:  the U.S. EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance andRead More

Organizers of the 2022 Water Finance Conference are looking for speakers for its eight annual event to be held Aug. 17-18 in Washington, D.C. Please email your 200-word abstract by March 19, 2022. The Water Finance Conference convenes executive-level utility professionals, including directors, superintendents, CEOs, CFOs and finance managers with consultants, financial advisors, legalRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans totaling $688 million to help finance water infrastructure projects in Baltimore, Md., Milwaukee, Wis., and the San Francisco Bay area. In the first year of the Biden-Harris administration, EPA closed 29 WIFIA loansRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 39 new projects are being invited to apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans and four projects are being added to a waitlist. The agency anticipates that, as funds become available, $6.7 billion in WIFIA loans will help financeRead More