The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) has applauded the release of Congress’ FY23 omnibus appropriations legislation, which includes a first-ever appropriation for a new EPA grant program to help drinking water systems prepare against natural disasters and cyber threats.
The grant program, titled the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, will offer grants to help eligible water systems increase their resilience to natural hazards, extreme hazards, or cyberattacks.
AMWA says that it has worked for over a decade to build support for the program.
"The nation's drinking water systems face staggering capital investment needs, and these challenges will only be exacerbated by emerging threats related to natural disasters, climate change, and cyberattacks," says Tom Dobbins, AMWA CEO. "This is why AMWA has spent years working with members of the House and Senate to develop and build support for the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, which will offer EPA grants to help community water systems serving populations of 10,000 or more people implement projects to build resilience to these threats."
Projects eligible for funding through the program will include:
- Water conservation or water-use efficiency
- Modification or relocation of existing drinking water infrastructure at risk of natural hazards or extreme weather events
- Design or construction of new or modified desalination facilities
- Water supply enhancement through watershed management or source water protection
- Enhancement of energy efficiency or the use/generation of renewable energy
- Development or implementation of other measures to increase the water system's resilience to natural hazards, extreme weather events, or cyberattacks
- Conservation of water or enhancement of water supply through reuse
- Formation of regional water partnerships to collaboratively address shortages.
Founded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the program is authorized at $50 million per year through FY26, and the FY23 omnibus spending bill provided it with $5 million. It is one of just four new IIJA-authorized water infrastructure grant programs in line to receive FY23 funding and was awarded the largest single appropriation of any of these new programs.
"We appreciate Congress' initial $5 million investment, and we are confident that this appropriation will spur EPA to get the program up and running as soon as possible," Dobbins continues. "Looking ahead, we will urge the House and Senate to fund the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program at its fully-authorized level of $50 million in the years ahead."
