Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $98,531,000 to Maryland to upgrade essential drinking water infrastructure. Thanks to a $6 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is increasing the investments made through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) to rebuild the nation’s water infrastructure.
“Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s infrastructure investments, we have an unprecedented opportunity to revitalize America’s drinking water systems, support the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of removing 100% of lead pipes across our country, and protect communities from PFAS pollution.”
“This historic funding is going toward a most vital resource – drinking water,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “Marylanders in neighborhoods from urban corners in Baltimore and the Eastern Shore to rural communities in the Appalachian Plateau will benefit with clean and safe water from their taps.”
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to strengthening the nation’s water infrastructure, while providing significant resources to address key challenges, including climate change, emerging contaminants like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and cybersecurity.
“Maryland works in partnership with the EPA to ensure that all communities across our state, including those that are underserved and overburdened, have safe and sustainable supplies of drinking water,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “We are particularly focused on making the best use of the EPA’s water infrastructure funding to build on our work to identify lead pipes for replacement and to help water systems pay for improvements to reduce PFAS risks to their customers.”
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing over $50 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between FY 2022 and FY 2026. In its second year of implementation, $6 billion of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will be available to states, Tribes, and territories through the DWSRF. Of that funding, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $3 billion in lead service line identification and improvement, $800 million to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and $2.2 billion in other critical drinking water system improvements. Additionally, approximately $500 million will also be available through the DWSRF annual appropriations, established by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
EPA is committed to ensuring every community has access to this historic investment and has centralized increasing investment in disadvantaged communities within its implementation. The implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law calls for strong collaboration, and EPA continues to work in partnership with states, Tribes, and territories to ensure that communities see the full benefits of this investment. In addition, EPA is strengthening its water technical assistance programs to support communities in assessing their water needs and apply for their fair share of this historic investment.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.
More information, including state-by-state allocation of 2023 funding and information on the DWINSA.
