The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides $350 billion dollars in emergency funding for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments which can be utilized to invest in water infrastructure. Municipal leaders are beginning to discuss the use of American Rescue Plan funds. This is an opportunity for Coalition member organizations to urge state and local governments to prioritize investing in water infrastructure projects to meet the demands for safe, accessible water and sewer services in the face of the climate crisis.
A bit more about the specifics of the American Rescue Plan:
$195 billion for states, (a minimum of $500 million for each State);
$130 billion for local governments (a minimum of $1.25 billion per state is provided by the statute inclusive of the amounts allocated to local governments within the state);
$20 billion for tribal governments; and
$4.5 billion for territories
More details:
This funding can be utilized to invest in infrastructure, including water, sewer, and broadband services.
Half of the funding will be sent out in 2021 and half 18 months after the first payment
Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure are all allowable uses of this funding --> any project that could be funded with a Clean Water State Revolving Fund or a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is eligible
Funding must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026
Outreach can be conducted to the following audiences urging leadership to invest in water infrastructure upgrades:
Front office of each governor’s office
New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Local government decision-makers
Forward any sign-on letter to your Member of Congress (House and Senate members) if they voted for the American Rescue Plan - only Democratic members voted for it - and thank them for voting for this historic and critical piece of legislation.
Please utilize our American Rescue Plan outreach toolkit to urge state and local decision makers to prioritize investments in water infrastructure projects. Access the toolkit here.