Late last week, Congress passed and the President signed legislation to fund the government for the remainder of FY 2020, which ends in September of 2020. In total, the agreement provides $1.68 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation ($115 million above the FY 2019 enacted level) and slightly over $9 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an increase of $208 million over the FY2019 enacted level. We are pleased to report that the legislation contains a number of WateReuse wins, including:

• $20 million for the Title XVI-WIIN Water Reclamation and Reuse Competitive Grants Program;
• More than $43 million for Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse “legacy” projects;
• $20 million for the Bureau of Reclamation’s Desalination and Water Purification Program;
• First time funding for the Drinking Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program ($3 million), Innovative Water Technology Grant Program ($1 million), and Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants ($28 million); and
• $6 million for the National Priorities Research Program.

The final funding agreement includes small reductions (relative to FY 2019) to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program as well as the Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Programs. At $60 million, the final funding level for WIFIA is higher than the level proposed by the House ($50 million), but lower than the level proposed by the Senate ($70 million). The final agreement includes the Senate’s proposed funding levels for the State Revolving Fund Programs. The House had supported significant funding increases for those programs. For a full breakdown of funding levels, you can download our appropriations chart here.

Congress has been working since March of 2019 to draft and negotiate appropriations legislation for FY 2020; however, because congressional negotiators were unable to come to an agreement before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, they had to instead pass a “continuing resolution” (CR), extending existing funding levels until midnight on December 20.

The WateReuse Association sends our sincere thanks to all of our members who made calls, held meetings, and sent emails to their representatives and senators over the last year, urging their support for key water recycling programs. Your actions played a critical role in securing these important wins!