Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $240 Million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Repair Aging Water Infrastructure
For Release: May 9, 2022
WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior today announced an investment of $240.4 million for infrastructure repairs in fiscal year 2022 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program, facilitated through the Bureau of Reclamation, includes significant repairs on canal linings, dam spillways and water pipeline replacements.
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making a historic investment in drought resilience and water infrastructure,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “As western communities face growing challenges accessing water in the wake of record drought, these investments in our aging water infrastructure will safeguard community water supplies and revitalize water delivery systems.”
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes one of the largest investments in drought resilience in American history, including $8.3 billion for water infrastructure programs and $1.4 billion for ecosystem restoration and resilience, dramatically expanding Reclamation’s ability to use existing program authorities to serve communities through infrastructure improvements that fundamentally impact their quality of life.
The projects selected for funding today are found in all the major river basins and regions where Reclamation operates. Among the 46 projects selected for funding are large projects to conduct canal repairs in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming, dam spillway repairs in Kansas, pipeline repairs in Utah and investments in a pumping plant in Montana. Projects in Colorado, Oregon and Washington are also being funded.
“The Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with states and local water districts receiving municipal water and irrigation water from federally-owned projects, is responsible for much of the water infrastructure in the West,” said Acting Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner David Palumbo. “These water systems work because of this federal to non-federal partnership, and this funding will help to complete necessary extraordinary maintenance keeping projects viable and partnerships strong."
Reclamation concluded the initial application period for these funds on January 31, 2022. The second application period for extraordinary maintenance funding is planned for October 2022.