Increase Federal Funding for America’s Failing Wastewater Infrastructure

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Increase Federal Funding for America’s Failing Wastewater Infrastructure

To the surprise of many, our nation’s beaches and ocean are plagued by spills of raw and under-treated sewage. Much of our wastewater infrastructure is outdated and failing, releasing harmful pollution into our waterways. Raw sewage threatens public health, coastal ecosystems and tourism-based ocean economies. Years of neglect have left our wastewater infrastructure vulnerable, and sea level rise and increasing coastal hazards associated with climate change will only make the situation worse.

Join Surfrider in calling on congress to allocate $100 billion ($10 billion annually over 10 years) for the Clean Water SRF.

EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) provides assistance to states and local communities for wastewater infrastructure improvement projects, including green stormwater projects and necessary upgrades. However the Clean Water SRF hasn’t been properly funded for decades, despite the well-established economic returns and stimulus that occur from investing in America’s water infrastructure (every $1 in water infrastructure investment results in $2.40 of economic returns).

A potential reconciliation bill, such as an economic stimulus infrastructure package, provide an important opportunity to catch up with the sewage infrastructure needs of our growing communities across the country, enhance infrastructure resilience for the future, better protect clean water for all people, and provide a much needed boost to our local economies.

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Over 850 billion gallons of raw sewage are released into US waterways each year. Additionally, polluted stormwater runoff continues to be the main cause of beach closures nationwide, with 10 trillion gallons of untreated stormwater runoff polluting our coastlines.

Our nation relies on properly functioning wastewater infrastructure, yet failure to acknowledge and adequately fund these resources has led to a backlog of over $270 billion worth of necessary infrastructure upgrades. This doesn’t even consider the threats coastal infrastructure faces from rising sea levels and exacerbated storm events associated with climate change.

EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) assists states and local communities with meeting wastewater infrastructure needs, including funding green stormwater projects and necessary upgrades. However the Clean Water SRF hasn’t been properly funded for decades, despite the well-established economic returns and stimulus that occur from investing in America’s water infrastructure (every $1 in water infrastructure investment results in $2.40 of economic returns).

Please support the allocation of $100 billion ($10 billion annually over 10 years) for the Clean Water SRF through a reconciliation bill, such as the economic/infrastructure stimulus package, so we can start to catch up with the sewage infrastructure needs of our growing communities across the country, enhance the resilience of our nation's critical infrastructure, better protect clean water for all people, and provide a much needed boost to our nation’s economy.

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