Four Federal Water Infrastructure Funding Programs to Watch

<p>The White House’s Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America, which was released early this year, outlines the President’s proposed steps to encourage increased State, local, and private investment in infrastructure. And though you’ve probably heard a lot about it, chances are you haven’t had the time to read and reflect on the 55 page document. So what might the President’s plan mean for infrastructure in your community? While the plan outlines programs for infrastructure of all sectors, this post provides a quick overview of the 4 proposed programs with relevance to water infrastructure.</p> <p></p> <p>The Need for Water Infrastructure Investment in North Carolina</p> <p>Every day, the School of Government’s Environmental Finance Center, works with communities who face the very real challenges of paying for infrastructure improvements, especially related to water and wastewater infrastructure. The need for investment in these areas is undeniable. In its most recent report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave North Carolina’s drinking water infrastructure a grade of C+, its stormwater infrastructure a grade of C-, and its wastewater infrastructure a grade of C. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Statewide Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Master Plan estimates that the state’s water and wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years are estimated to range from $17 billion to $26 billion. At the same time, federal investment in water infrastructure has been on the decline since the 1980s, and states and local governments are now accountable for more than 90% of the capital expenditures in the drinking water and wastewater sector.</p> <p>While the [...]</p>