Senate Adopts Drinking Water And Wastewater Infrastructure Act

The U.S. Senate passed the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 by a nearly unanimous vote in its first significant legislative step towards fulfilling the water infrastructure goals of the Biden administration's American Jobs Plan.

Drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure in many areas across the United States has deteriorated while public investment has lagged to support routine maintenance and restoration, adoption of innovative water infrastructure technologies, and sustainable water resource management and water supply planning. The American Jobs Plan promises to invest $111 billion in federal spending on water infrastructure priorities, including $45 billion towards the replacement of lead pipes in water systems and $56 billion towards other priorities, including addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water supplies and otherwise modernizing drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.