WIFIA, SWIFIA receive $6.5B in new EPA funding

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., announced the 2022 notices of funding availability for the agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program and the State Infrastructure Financing Authority WIFIA program. This year’s EPA funding will provide up to $6.5 billion in total funding to support $13 billion in water infrastructure projects while creating more than 40,000 jobs.

“Water infrastructure provides the foundation for healthy and vibrant communities by delivering safe drinking water and returning our treated wastewater to the environment,” says Radhika Fox, EPA assistant administrator for water. “In too many communities, these essential pipes and pumps are decades old and need to be upgraded. That’s why EPA is providing $6.5 billion in low-cost financing through WIFIA and SWIFIA that can help revitalize our water systems while creating good paying jobs and delivering significant economic benefits, especially in underserved and overburdened communities.”

The notices of funding availability include $5.5 billion for the WIFIA program and an additional $1 billion for the SWIFIA program. This round of funding will prioritize funding in four areas: increasing investment in economically stressed communities, making rapid progress on lead service line replacement, addressing per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and emerging contaminants and supporting one water innovation and resilience.

By prioritizing investment in underserved communities, the EPA is considering prospective WIFIA borrowers consistent with the goals of President Joe Biden’s Justice40 initiative. This initiative intends to ensure that federal agencies deliver at least 40% of benefits from certain investments, including water and wastewater infrastructure, to underserved communities.

Letters of interest may be submitted by prospective borrowers and received by the EPA at any time on or after Sept. 6. The submission period will close when all available funds are committed to prospective borrowers. A rolling selection process allows the EPA to provide year-round access to WIFIA funding, quicker selection decisions to prospective borrowers and technical assistance to prospective borrowers.

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