Biden-Harris Administration and EPA Announce Delivery of Historic Water Infrastructure Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to New Hampshire
BOSTON - (September 16, 2022) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded over $72 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to New Hampshire for water infrastructure improvements.
President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) allocates more than $50 billion to EPA toward repairing the nation's essential water infrastructure, which helps communities access clean, safe and reliable drinking water, increase resilience, collect and treat wastewater to protect public health, clean up pollution and safeguard vital waterways. The grant marks the first significant distribution of water infrastructure funds thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. State allocations were previously announced.
"All communities need access to clean, reliable, safe water," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Thanks to President Biden's leadership and the resources from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are repairing aging water infrastructure, replacing lead service lines, cleaning up contaminants, and making our communities more resilient in the face of floods and climate impacts."
"President Biden has been clear—we cannot leave any community behind as we rebuild America's infrastructure with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," said White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. "Because of his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, nearly half of the additional SRF funding will now be grants or forgivable loans, making accessing these critical water resources easier for small, rural and disadvantaged communities."
"The historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is funding critical water infrastructure projects across New England, especially in places that have been historically underserved," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "No one should be worried when they turn on their tap and ensuring clean drinking water and safe wastewater services to communities across the region is essential. We are proud to work with states, Tribes, and communities in making these unprecedented investments."
EPA's SRFs are part of President Biden's Justice40 initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40% of the benefits from certain federal programs flow to underserved communities. Furthermore, nearly half the funding available through the SRFs thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law must be grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers.
In fiscal year 2022, the six New England states have received a total of $484,744,421 with nearly half of this funding available as grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers. The fiscal year 2022 allocation is the first of five years of $43 billion in dedicated EPA SRF funding that states will receive through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. For more than 30 years, the SRFs have been the foundation of water infrastructure investments, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America. However, many vulnerable communities facing water challenges have not received their fair share of federal water infrastructure funding. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, states have a unique opportunity to correct this disparity.
Funding announced today represents FY22 awards for states that have submitted and obtained EPA's approval of their plans for use of the funding. Capitalization grants will continue to be awarded, on a rolling state-by-state basis, as more states receive approval throughout FY22; states will also receive awards over the course of the next four years. As grants are awarded, the state SRF programs can begin to distribute the funds as grants and loans to communities across their state.
"Granite State families deserve reliable access to safe drinking water and clean rivers, lakes and streams," said U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. "That's precisely why I fought to deliver the largest single investment in water ever made by the federal government - from updating crumbling water infrastructure to addressing harmful PFAS contamination. It's thrilling to see what started a year ago as negotiations on how to make these investments turn into tangible results in our communities, and in this case, a historic $72 million for New Hampshire to improve water infrastructure. This funding, and the continued resources we're seeing come back to New Hampshire from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, will have a meaningful impact for generations of Granite Staters to come."
"Safe drinking water is essential to Granite Staters' health and our economy, which is why my colleagues and I made unprecedented investments in our water systems when we negotiated the bipartisan infrastructure law," said U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan. "It is exciting to see federal funding through our law come to New Hampshire, where communities will put it to use to address PFAS contamination, replace lead lines, modernize drinking water and wastewater systems, and more. Granite Staters have raised concerns for years about water safety, and this funding will go a long way towards providing clean and reliable drinking water for all."
"Modern water infrastructure is critical to the health and strength of our communities. This funding from the EPA will upgrade our drinking water and wastewater systems, meeting the needs of our families and businesses," said Congressman Chris Pappas, NH-01. "Today's announcement represents an important advancement for our water infrastructure, and I'll continue working to ensure New Hampshire communities will reap the benefits."
"As I travel throughout the district, I consistently hear from our communities about the challenges that aging water infrastructure poses to providing clean reliable drinking water and effective wastewater treatment," said Congresswoman Annie Kuster, NH-02. "This funding represents a significant investment in the wellbeing of our cities and towns and will contribute to our economic competitiveness. This is critical, particularly for underinvested communities that need support to provide reliable water that its farmers, residents, and local businesses depend on."
Planned projects in New Hampshire that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund include lead line replacement projects in Hanover and Claremont, as well as PFAS treatment projects in Londonderry and Jaffrey. A host of other projects are slated for funding in the state through this new increase in funding, which will significantly increase the ability of towns and cities to meet their infrastructure needs.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law presents the largest ever funding opportunity for investing in water infrastructure. Find out more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs and other programs that help communities manage their water at www.epa.gov/infrastructure.