February 24, 2023

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Feb. 24, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $25,945,000 to Alabama from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure through this year’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The funding will support Alabama communities in upgrading essential water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies. Nearly half of this funding will be available as grants or principal forgiveness loans helping underserved communities across America invest in water infrastructure, while creating good-paying jobs.

“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering an unprecedented investment in America that will revitalize essential water and wastewater infrastructure across the country,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Not only will these funds expand access to clean water and safeguard the environment, but more underserved communities that have been left behind for far too long will be able to access them.”

“EPA’s contribution to the State Revolving Funds will enable more communities to make the investments needed to ensure improved water and wastewater infrastructure,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “These funds can create a powerful, innovative financing solution for major infrastructure projects in the Southeast region.”

“Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Alabama will receive a monumental investment of nearly $30 million to fix our water and wastewater systems this year!” said Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07). “Notably, much of this funding will be used for grants and loan forgiveness to ensure that our underserved communities are not left behind. This funding will make a real difference and reverse decades of disinvestment for the many rural communities impacted by Alabama’s wastewater crisis. Once again, I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for making water infrastructure a top priority and proud of my vote to make this funding a reality.”

“We certainly welcome this funding and appreciate the continued help from the EPA,” said Lance LeFleur, Director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. “Alabama is engaged in an unprecedented effort to meet longstanding drinking water and sewer infrastructure needs. Last year, ADEM committed $463 million through grants and loans to public drinking water and sewer systems throughout the state, and this year we expect to provide hundreds of millions of dollars more. These new federal dollars mean we will be able to fund even more projects for our citizens.”

Today’s announcement is part of the $2.4 billion announced as part of the second wave of funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to invest in America. In May 2022, EPA announced the initial allotment of $1.9 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to states, Tribes and territories through the CWSRF. That money is supporting hundreds of critical water infrastructure projects around the country.

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes over $50 billion available for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between FY2022 and FY2026. EPA is committed to ensuring every community has access to this historic investment and has centralized increasing investment in disadvantaged communities within its implementation. This investment in water infrastructure is creating jobs while addressing key challenges, including climate change and emerging contaminants like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 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 FY2022, Alabama was awarded $20,946,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding to support state clean water and emerging containments infrastructure projects. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) recently closed a $8.7 million-dollar BIL funded loan in the small town of Hayneville in Alabama’s Black Belt to address 650 homes that have failing or non-existent wastewater treatment. ADEM has also proposed several projects on its CWSRF BIL General Supplement Intended Use Plan to address mid to large scale clean water infrastructure projects for Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements, Sanitary Sewer Collection System Improvements, Floodplain and Climate Resiliency and ground-breaking projects addressing emerging contaminants.

Through the “Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative” EPA and USDA are providing technical assistance to underserved communities in Lowndes and Greene Counties to help them address wastewater infrastructure needs.

In addition to today’s announcement, the 2023 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund allocations and program updates are forthcoming, pending the release of the seventh Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment. EPA anticipates releasing the information in the coming weeks.

The CWSRFs have been the foundation of water infrastructure investments for more than 30 years, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America. For more information, including state-by-state allocation of 2023 funding, and a breakdown of EPA CWSRF funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/cwsrf .

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