Late last week, the President signed legislation to reopen the Federal Government and end the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The enacted legislation extends FY 2025 funding levels for much of the Federal Government through January 30, 2026, and includes full-year appropriations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, legislative operations, military construction and veterans’ affairs. Between now and the end of January, Congress will be negotiating final FY 2026 funding levels for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal departments and agencies that did not receive full-year appropriations.
WateReuse has been working throughout the year to protect and increase funding for key water recycling programs. As a reminder, the House-passed appropriations bills for FY 2026 meet the WateReuse Association’s requests for increased funding for the Title XVI Water Reuse Grants Program and the Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Grants; however, they also include cuts to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) Programs and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program. The Senate versions of those bills cut WIFIA and do not increase funding for Title XVI or Alternative Water Source Grants; they do, however, protect the SRF Programs. Stay tuned for an action alert with more information about how you can engage with your legislators between now and January 30. |