Federal Infrastructure Bill Must Cross the Finish Line Construction Outlook Magazine, and this space in particular, uses every opportunity possible to promote and advocate for adequate funding for drinking water, wastewater, and the need for underground utility infrastructure construction projects to go forward. It is a core element of UCANE’s mission. While we have been successful over the years, the level of success can be determined by several factors, including economic conditions and the political will of our elected officials. There is no doubt that the pandemic has presented significant challenges this past year, however, it may now provide an opportunity to help fund much needed infrastructure projects as there is a very real possibility that a long-awaited infrastructure bill will be approved by congress.
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y now most of us have seen or heard news reports about the President’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. With a bill of this size, there will no doubt be much debate and scrutiny over where and how to spend federal dollars as a way to stimulate the economy post-pandemic. However, one aspect of the bill that may provide for bipartisan agreement is its plan to upgrade our drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The Administration’s Plan proposes a $111 billion investment to improve our water infrastructure. The recommendation is that $56 billion go toward water and sewer projects. Another $45 billion would help eliminate lead pipes and service lines. And finally, the plan includes $10 billion in funding to monitor and remediate PFAS in drinking water, and to improve small rural water systems and household wells and wastewater systems. Most of this funding would be distributed through the existing State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Program. (See article on page 33). This water funding proposal is very similar to bipartisan bills in Congress already moving through both the House and Senate. There have been discussions to move smaller portions of the infrastructure bill APRIL, 2021
as stand-alone measures instead of one comprehensive bill, so the water infrastructure component could be one of the first to be considered. There is certainly little argument about the need for this investment. In the most recent “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” the American Society of Civil Engineers, gave wastewater a D+, drinking water a C-, and stormwater a D. Over recent years, the federal government has not done its part. In the late 1970s, the federal government provided over 60 percent of the total water infrastructure spending in the United States. It now contributes less than 5 percent. The burden too often falls on state and local officials, which makes it all too easy to delay and “kick the can down the road” on critical projects, simply because the underground infrastructure is “out of sight and out of mind.” The federal government must do more. The latest federal proposal can go a long way to restoring an equitable balance between federal, state, and local officials to begin to close the water infrastructure funding gap. It is imperative that this proposal cross the finish line. n
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