First WIFIA Annual Report Highlights $3.5 Billion in Infrastructure Funding

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) has released its first-ever annual report for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Through 2019, the WIFIA program financed more than $3.5 billion in loans, which USEPA says has saved borrowers $1.2 billion dollars and has helped improve water quality for more than 20 million Americans. The … Read more

New Website Identifies Federal Funding Programs for Lead Service Line Replacement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) launched a new website that summarizes available federal programs to help finance or fund lead service line (LSL) replacement. The website includes information about Federal funding from the following resources: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN) Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) … Read more

Reserves: Identification and Justification of Your System’s Capital Reserve Funding Goals

Utility managers and decision makers know that saving for the future is important.  The question is not whether to do it, but to what level.  What is the magic number? In the absence of a crystal ball, we are left to estimate future capital investment needs based on a series of assumptions.  This becomes a … Read more

Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act

In October, President Donald Trump signed the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act into law. The new law promises to add flexibility to the State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs to help finance projects that reduce lead in drinking water. The Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act allows transfers from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) to … Read more

Utilities Eligible for USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Funding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced $300 million in available funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This program encourages partnerships to address natural resource concerns related to agriculture at scale. With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, at least 10% of NRCS conservation spending will go … Read more

USDA Invests $192 Million in Rural Water Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $192 million in 71 rural water infrastructure projects across 29 states. The funding comes from the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. Rural communities, water districts and other eligible entities can use the funds for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems in rural … Read more