News Releases from Region 02
EPA Announces Availability of $2.6 Billion in Funding to Improve Water Infrastructure Across the United States
U.S. Virgin Islands eligible to receive $10.2 million
NEW YORK (May 9, 2019) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of nearly $2.6 billion in new funds to assist states, tribes, and territories with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across the country. The U.S. Virgin Islands is eligible to receive a total of $10.2 million. This funding advances President Trump’s efforts to rebuild the country’s aging water infrastructure, create local jobs, and ensure all Americans have safe and clean water.
“EPA is delivering on President Trump’s commitment to modernize our nation’s water infrastructure and improve public health and environmental protections,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “EPA’s $2.6 billion contribution to the State Revolving Funds will enable more communities to make the investments needed to ensure Americans have safe water for drinking and recreation. These funds can also be combined with EPA’s WIFIA loans to create a powerful, innovative financing solution for major infrastructure projects nationwide.”
“EPA is providing critical funding to state and local partners to improve water infrastructure in the U.S. Virgin Islands to ensure our communities receive safe drinking water and our waterways are clean,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “These funds are part of EPA’s overall effort to help the U.S. Virgin Islands affordably build, repair, or replace infrastructure that will last for generations to come.”
Implemented via the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants (DWIG) and the Clean Water Infrastructure Grants (CWIG) Territorial Programs, EPA allots a portion of the State Revolving Funds as grants to the U.S. Virgin Islands and the other U.S. territories for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
This year, EPA is making available more than $1 billion in new federal grant funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The U.S. Virgin Islands is eligible to receive $5,262,000 of the DWSRF funding. This funding can be used for grants that help drinking water systems install controls to treat contaminants such as PFAS and improve distribution systems by removing lead service lines
EPA is also providing approximately $1.6 billion in new federal grant funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The U.S. Virgin Islands is eligible to receive $4,950,000 of the CWSRF funding. This funding is available as grants for a wide range of water infrastructure projects, including modernizing aging wastewater infrastructure and funding sewer collection systems.
According to EPA’s estimate of national drinking water and wastewater needs, over $743 billion is needed for water infrastructure improvements. The State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to the states, tribes and territories play an important part in meeting this need.
For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/drinkingwatersrf and https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf.
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