Biden-Harris Administration Announces $6.5 Billion for Drinking Water Infrastructure Upgrades Across the Nation including Georgia
Made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, new funding will help ensure communities have access to clean and safe drinking water
ATLANTA (April 4, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $119,845,000 to Georgia for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Thanks to a $6 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is increasing the investments available to rebuild the nation’s water infrastructure.
“Every community deserves access to safe, clean 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’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund enables states to make the critical investments needed to improve drinking water infrastructure,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “This funding, made possible by President Biden’s Infrastructure Law, will ensure safe drinking water and enhance public health protections in underserved communities across the Southeast.”
“Senator Warnock and I are delivering water infrastructure upgrades to remove lead pipes from our drinking water and keep our families safe and healthy,” U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff said. “Our bipartisan infrastructure law will deliver long-overdue upgrades to Georgia’s infrastructure for years to come.”
“The ability to drink clean water free of lead and other contaminants should be a human right not a privilege,” said U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04). “Particularly for our young school children, who are more susceptible to the effects of lead exposure. We know from testing in 2017 that some DeKalb County schools had lead in pipes more than 150 times the EPA’s recommended level. I’m pleased to be working with the Administration and our federal partners to make these critical, life-saving Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments that will deliver clean drinking water to families across Georgia, particularly in communities that have been left behind for too long.”
“We all want our families and neighbors to have access to clean, safe drinking water, and this funding helps us make that a reality,” said U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07). “I am so proud to have fought alongside President Biden to pass the the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is now bringing another $119 million right to Georgia. I thank the Biden Administration for their support in helping our state get the support we need."
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), 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.
President Biden’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.