EPA Sends California $391 Million For Drinking Water Infrastructure Upgrades

By Tom Joyce | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square California

April 6, 3034

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that California will receive $391,500,000 for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

The fund received a $6 billion boost because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Agency is making more funding available for states to improve their water infrastructure.

“Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in an EPA press release. “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.”

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, praised the news, calling clean drinking water a “basic human right."

“Access to clean drinking water is a basic human right. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making long overdue upgrades to water infrastructure that will ensure that all Californians have safe drinking water in their homes,” Khanna said. “I’m glad to have worked with my colleagues in Congress and the administration to pass this historic legislation and deliver for communities in our state.”

U.S. Representative Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, praised the Bipartisan Infrastructure law for providing this additional funding for the state.

“Communities, economies, and ecosystems across the US rely on clean water, but the nation’s water infrastructure has been woefully neglected for decades, leading to a dilapidated, contamination-riddled system,” Huffman said in the release. “Everyone deserves access to safe drinking water, which is why we included historic funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure law to invest in a clean water future. I’m happy this funding is on its way to our state and will make sure we see the full benefit of this program.”

And Yana Garcia, California Secretary for Environmental Protection, said that while the news is a positive development, the state needs more money to make its necessary upgrades.

“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, California and many of our sister states will see an increase in federal funding this year for drinking water projects in some of our most vulnerable communities,” Garcia said in the release. “Although we’ve made great strides, many California communities continue to lack access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water. Current estimates price our drinking water infrastructure needs at $64.7 billion. Securing sustained federal and state funding to meet this need is critical and remains a key priority for our administrations.”

The EPA is basing its revolving fund allotments on the results of its 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment.

The survey, which is required by law, assesses the country’s public water systems’ infrastructure needs once every four years and uses its findings to allocate grants to states.

The drinking water utilities will need $625 billion in infrastructure funding over the next 20 years, “to ensure the nation’s public health, security and economic well-being,” according to the release.

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