The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced more than $200m funding for infrastructure projects to help protect surface water and drinking water in New England.
The EPA said that the financing forms part of $2.7bn funding made available for State Revolving Funds (SRFs). The funding is aimed at assisting states, tribes and territories with infrastructure projects that help protect surface water.
EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler said: “EPA’s decades-long commitment to water infrastructure has helped provide $180 billion in project financing to over 41,000 water quality infrastructure projects and 15,000 drinking water projects across the country.
“In the past three years, the Trump Administration has accelerated EPA’s investment in infrastructure projects that modernize our nation’s water infrastructure and improve public health and the environment.”
EPA is providing about $1.6bn new federal grant funding in 2020
In 2020, the agency is providing about $1.6bn new federal grant funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) as well as over $120m funding to support the six states of New England.
The funding will be utilised to improve aging wastewater infrastructure, implementing water reuse and recycling and addressing storm water.
The EPA is also providing over $64m in CWSRF funding for tribes, certain US territories and the District of Columbia for infrastructure projects.
Additionally, the agency is also planning to provide over $1.07bn financing for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) that will also include more than $80m funding to the six states of New England.
EPA stated that the funds can be utilised for loans that help install treatment for drinking water systems contaminants, improve distribution systems and enhance system resiliency to natural disasters such as floods.
Furthermore, over $50m in DWSRF grant is made available tribes, US territories and the District of Columbia to upgrade drinking water systems.