Wisconsin will be getting a $142.7 million federal investment to help put people to work rebuilding the state’s water infrastructure.
The federal funding will help communities replace lead service lines, address PFAS chemicals, rebuild wastewater infrastructure and protect the Great Lakes, announced U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
The bipartisan infrastructure legislation signed into law invests in states through the Environmental Protection Agency State Revolving Fund program, which provide below-market rate loans and grants to fund water infrastructure improvements to protect public health and the environment.
“This is a major federal investment to help local communities in Wisconsin replace dangerous lead service lines and address PFAS contaminants so that we provide safe and clean drinking water to people across our state,” Baldwin says. “This investment will also help Wisconsin rebuild wastewater and stormwater management systems so more people will be able to swim, fish, and play in our waters and the environment will be cleaner for this and future generations. We also have federal support from the Biden Administration to better protect our Great Lakes to ensure that they continue to serve as vital economic and recreational assets.”
EPA will allocate $7.4 billion to states, tribes and territories for 2022, with nearly half of this funding available as grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers, according to Baldwin’s release.
She also notes many vulnerable communities facing water challenges have not received their fair share of federal water infrastructure funding. Under this legislation, states have a unique opportunity to correct the disparity.
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