Issued: Apr 4, 2023 (3:46pm EDT)
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $45 Million for Drinking Water Infrastructure Upgrades in U.S. Virgin Islands
Made possible by President Biden's Investing in America Agenda, new funding will help ensure communities have access to clean and safe drinking water
NEW YORK – (April 4, 2023) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $45,565,000 for the U.S. Virgin Islands essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades across the nation through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Thanks to a $6 billion boost from Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is increasing the investments available to rebuild the nation's water infrastructure.
"Every community deserves access to safe, clean and safe drinking water," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Thanks to President Biden's historic infrastructure investments in America, 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."
"EPA is putting the funding where the priorities are by working with our state partners to deliver clean and safe water to communities, protect public health, and advance environmental justice across the U.S. Virgin Islands and the nation." said U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This funding is part of the once-in-a lifetime investments we are making to transform infrastructure under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."
"The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) welcomes the announcement by the EPA of additional financial resources that support the provision of clean water for the residents and guests of the US Virgin Islands. These additional funds will go towards the rehabilitation of the existing distribution systems, the expansion of service to the community and assistance to other drinking water providers in the territory. Clean drinking water is an essential human need and human right, and these funds will help to ensure that the communities of the US Virgin Islands have access to this basic human need. The DPNR stands ready to provide assistance to our community in ensuring ready and equitable access to these resources for the betterment of our community." said Department of Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Commissioner JP Oriol.
"I am pleased to join the Environmental Protection Agency in announcing this consequential investment. The U.S. Virgin Islands will receive $45,565,000 through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to upgrade drinking water treatment systems, which is imperative for healthy communities. I supported the inclusion of this funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I am thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration and grateful for their commitment to improving the resiliency and infrastructure of underserved communities," said Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett.
Recent examples of the type of work being funded includes the US Virgin Islands government's planned use of funds on the planning, design, construction, improvement, and replacement of eligible drinking water systems focusing on disadvantaged communities throughout the islands.
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), lead pipes, and cybersecurity.
The DWSRF allotments to states are based on the results of EPA's 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA). The survey, which is required by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, assesses the nation's public water systems' infrastructure needs every four years and the findings are used to allocate DWSRF grants to states. The drinking water utilities need $625 billion in infrastructure investments over the next 20 years to ensure the nation's public health, security, and economic well-being.
At the direction of Congress, EPA's 7th Drinking Water Assessment, for the first time included survey questions focused on lead service lines and is projecting a national total of 9.2 million lead service lines across the country. This best available national and state-level projections of service line counts will help advance a unique opportunity to employ a separate lead service line allotment formula for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Funding that is based on need. Almost $3 billion of the funding announced today will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement, taking a key step toward the Biden-Harris Administration's goal of achieving 100% lead free water systems.
Biden-Harris Administration'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.
More information on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Background
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments mandated that EPA conduct an assessment of the nation's public water systems' infrastructure needs every four years and use the findings to allocate DWSRF capitalization grants to states.
The DWSRFs have been the foundation of water infrastructure investment for more than 25 years, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America. Since its inception, states have provided almost $53 billion through DWSRF programs to water systems for approximately 18,000 projects. Each state receives an allocation percentage that is based directly on its proportional share of the total need for all 50 States and Puerto Rico. The percentage made available to any individual state ranges from 1% to almost 11%, with each state guaranteed a minimum of 1% of the total amount available to states. Due to any individual state's share of the total state need, some states will see increases or decreases in the percentage of funding they receive.
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