EPA announces $26 million in historic federal funding to Montana for clean watersheds and drinking water
HELENA — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $26 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to Montana for water infrastructure improvements.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) allocates more than $50 billion to EPA toward repairing the nation’s essential water infrastructure, which helps communities access clean, safe and reliable drinking water, increase resilience, collect and treat wastewater to protect public health, clean up pollution and safeguard vital waterways. The grant marks the first significant distribution of water infrastructure funds thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. State allocations were previously announced.
“All communities need access to clean, reliable, safe water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership and the resources from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are repairing aging water infrastructure, replacing lead service lines, cleaning up contaminants, and making our communities more resilient in the face of floods and climate impacts.”
“President Biden has been clear—we cannot leave any community behind as we rebuild America’s infrastructure with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. “Because of his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, nearly half of the additional SRF funding will now be grants or forgivable loans, making accessing these critical water resources easier for small, rural and disadvantaged communities.”
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will support unprecedented investments in wastewater treatment and drinking water infrastructure across Montana’s communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “These projects will create jobs and modernize and extend the water systems that keep our rivers clean and our water safe to drink in every corner of the state"
“Access to clean drinking water and reliable water infrastructure is essential to the health, safety, and economic growth of Montana communities,” said U.S. Senator Jon Tester. “I’m proud to have secured funding for water infrastructure improvements in our communities through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, so that folks across the Treasure State know they’ve got the water they need to take care of their families and power their small businesses. I look forward to working with EPA to make sure these funds get dispersed as soon as possible because Montanans can’t wait.”
“Clean water is essential to support Montana’s thriving communities,” said Montana DEQ Director Chris Dorrington. “Montana has seen unprecedented development pressure in the last several years, and the demands for water and sewer infrastructure have never been greater. I look forward to working with local government partners to invest this money in environmentally protective projects that improve existing infrastructure so it will sustain our communities for many years to come.”
EPA’s SRFs are part of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40% of the benefits from certain federal programs flow to underserved communities. Furthermore, nearly half the funding available through the SRFs thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law must be grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers.
Finding announced today represents FY22 awards for states that have submitted and obtained EPA’s approval of their plans for use of the funding. Capitalization grants will continue to be awarded on a rolling state-by-state basis, as more states receive approval throughout FY22; states will also receive awards over the course of the next four years. As grants are awarded, the state SRF programs can begin to distribute the funds as grants and loans to communities across their state.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law presents the largest ever funding opportunity for investing in water infrastructure. Find out more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs and other programs that help communities manage their water at www.epa.gov/infrastructure.