Biden-Harris Administration announces over $361 million in funding for Florida drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure upgrades as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 23, 2024) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $361 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Florida drinking water and clean water infrastructure upgrades. The funding is part of the over $50 billion investment in water infrastructure upgrades from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the largest such investment in American history. Today’s announcement will support essential water infrastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies across the state. Almost half of this funding will be available as grants or principal forgiveness loans, ensuring funds reach underserved communities most in need of investments in water infrastructure.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda continues to transform communities for the better with this latest infusion of funds for critical water infrastructure projects,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With $50 billion in total, the largest investment in water infrastructure in our nation’s history, EPA will enable communities across the nation to ensure safer drinking water for their residents and rebuild vital clean water infrastructure to protect public health for decades to come.”
“Florida, particularly South Florida, stands at the forefront of the climate crisis. The impacts of climate change are an ever-present reality for our residents as we experience some of the costliest natural disasters and climate-related events, including flooding. The erosion of our water infrastructure and the risk of the Biscayne Aquifer, South Florida’s primary source of clean drinking water, underscore how urgent this crisis is. Today’s announcement by the Biden-Harris Administration marks a significant victory for Florida and our local community, ensuring that the fundamental right to clean drinking water remains safeguarded. We now have the power to transform our communities by ensuring that access to clean water will never be a privilege but a basic necessity that every individual deserves. I thank President Biden and EPA Administrator Michael Regan for prioritizing Florida and ensuring we can address the challenges to accessing clean drinking water. Together, we can forge a path towards a more sustainable and resilient future for our state,” said US Representative Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).
“As we saw last April during a historic flood that hit the heart of Florida’s 20th Congressional District, there is an urgent need to modernize South Florida’s water infrastructure,” said US Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL- 20). “This unprecedented investment from the Biden-Harris Administration will not only make our communities more resilient but will also expand access to clean drinking water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver for South Florida families.”
“We are proud to continue seeing the Infrastructure Law make historical impacts in our state. With these investments, we look forward to seeing more clean water accessibility and removal of lead pipes in Central Florida, improved water quality to support wildlife and recreation, and more. House Democrats will keep working with the U.S. EPA to deliver real solutions for the American people,” said US Representative Darren Soto (FL-09).
Communities across the country are facing water infrastructure challenges. Many cities and towns have aging water infrastructure – old, broken or lead pipes carrying drinking water and wastewater treatment plants in need of major upgrades. Some communities struggle to maintain adequate stormwater infrastructure to effectively manage flood impacts from climate change and others need to upgrade their water treatment to address emerging contaminants like PFAS.
The funding EPA announced for Alabama is part of a $5.8 billion investment through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF), one of EPA’s signature water investment programs. This multi-billion-dollar investment will fund state-run, low-interest loan programs to address key challenges, with $2.6 billion going to the Clean Water SRF for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and $3.2 billion going to the Drinking Water SRF for drinking water infrastructure nationwide. Today’s announcement includes allotments for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law General Supplemental funds and Emerging Contaminant funds for SRF programs for fiscal year 2024. EPA anticipates announcing allocations for billions of dollars in additional resources for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Service Line Replacement fund later this Spring.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in Action in Florida
Since 2022, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has injected over $537 million into water infrastructure projects across Florida—protecting public health, preserving water resources, and creating jobs.
To view stories about how the unpreceded investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are transforming communities across the country, visit EPA’s new Investing in America’s Water Infrastructure Storymap. To read more about some additional projects that are underway, see EPA’s recently released Quarterly Report on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funded Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF projects.
Background
The Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and the Clean Water State Revolving Funds have been the foundation of water infrastructure investments for more than 30 years, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America. SRF programs are critically important programs for investing in the nation’s water infrastructure. They are designed to generate significant and sustainable water quality and public health benefits across the country. Their impact is amplified by the growth inherent in a revolving loan structure – payment of principal and interest on loans made are available to address future needs.
For more information, including state-by-state allocation of 2024 funding, and a breakdown of EPA State Revolving Fund funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, please visit the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund website and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund website.
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Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-over-361-million-funding-florida-drinking-water
