Business and Utility Leaders Convene to Chart a Course Toward Water Positivity
Date: November 21, 2024
For Immediate Release November 21, 2024 PALM SPRINGS, CA – Representatives of America’s largest companies and key local and national...
Senate Committee Releases FY 2023 Funding Bills, Including Funding for Water Recycling
Date: July 29, 2022
This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its draft appropriations bills for FY 2023. The House Appropriations Committee released its own versions of the appropriations bills in June. Amongst U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water programs authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), only two receive first-time funding in the Senate appropriations bill—the Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program and the Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Grants. WateReuse worked with Congress to authorize the Alternative Water Source Grants Pilot Program as part of the IIJA and has been urging appropriators to fund the program in FY 2023.
While Alternative Water Source Grants is one of the few programs to emerge with new funding in the Senate’s FY 2023 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill, the funding level of $5 million falls far short of the authorized level of $25 million. The House companion bill provides $10 million for the program. Alongside funding for Alternative Water Source Grants, the Senate package includes $20 million for the Title XVI-WIIN Water Reuse Grants Program, $35 million for Title XVI congressionally directed projects, $17.7 million for desalination grants, $25 million for aquifer storage and recovery projects in the Great Plains region, and $4 million for research related to enhanced aquifer use and recharge. In total, the Senate package includes more than $3 billion for programs that support water recycling. See our appropriations chart below for a full breakdown of House and Senate appropriations levels.
In the coming months, the House and Senate will likely pass a continuing resolution (CR) to extend FY 2022 funding levels beyond the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Depending on how quickly congressional leaders believe they can reach a final agreement on an appropriations package, the CR could last anywhere from two to six months. It is also not yet clear whether the Senate will bring its appropriations bills to the floor for full Senate consideration ahead of negotiations with the House. Instead, congressional leaders may negotiate behind closed doors before bringing a final package back to the House and Senate for adoption. Until FY 2023 appropriations legislation is enacted, WateReuse will be working with House and Senate champions to secure the highest possible funding levels for water recycling programs. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks about how you can help!
| FY20 Enacted | FY21 Enacted | FY22 Enacted | FY23 House minibus | FY23 Senate mark | |
| CWSRF | $1,638,826,000 | $1,638,826,000 | $1,638,826,000* | $1,751,646,000** | $1,688,847,000^ |
| DWSRF | $1,126,088,000 | $1,126,088,000 | $1,126,088,000^^ | $1,126,096,000~ | $1,176,095,000\ |
| WIFIA | $60,000,000 | $65,000,000 | $69,526,000 | $80,344,000 | $74,526,000 |
| Alternative Water Source Grants Pilot Program | N/A | N/A | N/A | $10,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Sec. 2005 of AWIA 2018 – Drinking Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $7,000,000 |
| Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program | N/A | N/A | N/A | $10,000,000 | $0 |
| Clean Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program | N/A | N/A | N/A | $0 | $0 |
| Sec. 2007 of AWIA 2018 – Innovative Water Technology Grant Program | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $3,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Sewer overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grants | $28,000,000 | $40,000,000 | $43,000,000 | $280,000,000 | $51,000,000 |
| National Priorities Research Program | $6,000,000 | $7,500,000 | $11,430,000 | $10,000,000 | $9,500,000 |
| Title XVI Legacy | $43,616,000 | $43,617,000 | $35,693,000 | $43,617,000 | $35,000,000 |
| Title XVI-WIIN | $20,000,000 | $20,000,000 | $17,500,000 | $20,000,000 | $20,000,000 |
| Desalination and Water Purification Program | $20,000,000 | $21,500,000 | $20,000,000 | $17,719,000 | $17,719,000 |
| Aquifer Storage and Recovery (Reclamation) | $10,000,000 | $20,000,000 | $18,000,000 | $0 | $25,000,000# |
| Enhanced Aquifer Use and Recharge (EPA Research: SSWR) | N/A | N/A | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $4,000,000 |
*Includes $443,639,051 for earmarks.
**Includes $553,401,264 for earmarks.
^Includes $335,606,000 for earmarks.
^^Includes $397,766,044 for earmarks.
~Includes $381,263,499 for earmarks.
\ Includes $229,610,000 for earmarks.
#Focused on ensuring sustainable water supply and protecting water quality of aquifers in the Great Plains Region with shared or multiuse aquifers.