Newsletter #419 for December 3, 2025

EPA Announces $7 Billion in Newly Available WIFIA Funding and Five New WIFIA Loan Approvals

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $6.5 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) funding available for water systems, with an additional $550 million available to states. Interested entities can apply for this funding through a rolling application process.

The agency is also announcing approval of five new WIFIA loans that will invest in critical water infrastructure projects in Texas, Illinois, Oregon, and Florida. EPA’s WIFIA program provides a powerful financial tool that can significantly accelerate investments in water infrastructure to protect human health and the environment while saving communities millions of dollars.

For this new round of funding, EPA has identified priority areas including: 

• Ensuring safe drinking water and addressing pollution in our nation’s waterbodies

• Unleashing American energy dominance

• Advancing cooperative federalism by supporting local, regional, and state water priorities

• Supporting innovation in the water sector

• Promoting economic growth and furthering America’s industrial resurgence

EPA also announced its approval of five loans that invest in water infrastructure projects:

• Fort Worth, Texas – A $347 million loan will be used to upgrade wastewater collection and treatment and support beneficial water reuse. A newly designed and built water reclamation facility will meet the needs of a growing population while treating wastewater to be reused for industrial and irrigation purposes. 

• Pflugerville, Texas – A $176 million WIFIA loan will support multiple projects modernizing drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in this growing city. Work will include design and construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, expansion and consolidation of wastewater collection systems, and water main rehabilitation. This is the second WIFIA loan to the City of Pflugerville 

• Joliet, Illinois – An $87 million loan will help transition the city’s drinking water supply from a stressed and unsustainable aquifer. Projects will include upgrading the distribution system to reduce water loss as the city prepares to begin using water from Lake Michigan. This is the third WIFIA loan for the City of Joliet under an agreement that will provide a total of $395 million in financing.  

• Ashland, Oregon – A $73 million WIFIA loan will help build a new drinking water treatment plant to provide a safer and more resilient supply of clean drinking water to this small, rural community.  

• Wilton Manors, Florida – A $28 million WIFIA loan will reduce the risk of pipeline failures, minimize water loss, and improve system reliability, particularly during emergencies such as storm events. Projects include replacing water mains, rehabilitating and replacing wastewater lift stations and force mains, and improving stormwater drainage systems. 

Register for Our Upcoming Webinar!

Essential Safety Resources for Wastewater Operators

December 16, 2025 | 10:00 AM CST

This webinar will explore practical resources to help wastewater operators stay safe in their day to day to work as well as in less common and unexpected scenarios. Plus, participants will learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality.

Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request. Check with your certification body for acceptance criteria.

Tap Talk

How the Be Well Informed Tool Educates Well Owners

In Tap Talk’s 68th episode, Steve and Jennifer chat with Kurt Rakouskas — a project manager at the Environmental Council of the States — about the organization’s cross-disciplinary work and its stewardship of the Be Well Informed tool. This free tool helps well users understand the results of water tests performed on their wells by translating the scientific and technical notation into plain language. This helps make clear if there is a problem indicated by the results, what the risks of any present contaminants are, and what the next steps should be for the well owner.

Featured Video

Top Water Expert Ben Grumbles Shares BEST Solutions for Clean Water

waterloop

"Every state in America is grappling with the same urgent mission: ensuring clean, safe, and affordable water for their communities.

That’s where Ben Grumbles and the Environmental Council of the States are focused.

As the national nonprofit that brings together all 50 state environmental secretaries, ECOS helps leaders educate, collaborate, and advocate so states can keep making real progress on the water challenges that matter most.

Grumbles says states are under immense pressure — from emerging contaminants like PFAS, to nutrient pollution, to damaged infrastructure struggling under extreme weather and climate change. They’re also working to make regulatory systems more resilient and adaptive as science and risks continue to evolve.

But one issue rises above the rest: funding.

States implement more than 90% of the nation’s environmental and water laws, and rely on federal support to keep Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act programs running. Recent federal investments have helped — but looming budget cuts threaten to push states off a fiscal cliff.

“States are very focused on the need for a fair share of federal funding as one of the unifying priorities all communities are going to benefit from.” Grumbles notes."

Featured Video

The Story of Hysham | RCAP Environmental Finance Center (EFC) Narrative

Rural Community Assistance Partnership

"Hysham is a small community of 276 people on the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana. The town has struggled to keep a certified operator and was on a Do-Not-Consume order for more than a year due to the buildup of Manganese in the transmission mains and treatment plant piping. The treatment plant and transmission piping are quite old and need replacement. The Town is pursuing emerging contaminant funding through the SRF program to replace the transmission mains and piping with excess manganese buildup. The town is 53% low to moderate income and is considered disadvantaged by USDA under the Climate Change, Energy, Health, and Legacy Pollution categories. Hysham is in the 90th percentile for heart disease and the 95th percentile for cancer rates. As far as climate change is concerned, Hysham is in the 80-90th percentile for both flood and wildfire risk.

Watch their story and see how the Midwest Assistance Program (MAP) assisted them in getting off the Do-Not-Consume order."

Featured Events

In the News

• EPA Redirects $4.1B to States for Lead Pipe Removal | Engineering News-Record
  
• New water treatment plant further delayed due to ongoing mechanical problems | KWCH
  
• Dramatic surge in water demand predicted by 2040 puts Ohio farmers and industry on collision course | CBS Pittsburgh
  
• With so much polluted water, SD lawmaker says state can no longer ‘dance around’ ag regulations | South Dakota Searchlight
  
• Wetlands project underway in Redmond, will be both a sewage lagoon and park | The Bulletin
  
• Wisconsin Data Center Water Usage and Its Effects | Circle of Blue
  
• Major water right approval could protect ample Colorado River flows | Colorado Newsline
  
• Fluoride in drinking water does not negatively affect cognitive ability — and may actually provide benefit, study finds | CNN
  

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