Last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) celebrated the second anniversary of passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The ASCE applauded the $1.2T Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also know as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), as the largest-ever investment in the built environment in the United States. At the same time, ASCE also marked the inaugural National Stormwater Day.

“ASCE continues to draw awareness to the importance of infrastructure resilience through the passage of important legislation like the PRECIP Act and the implementation of the IIJA, and has undertaken our Engineering and Public Works Roadshow series, which recently spotlighted a transformative flood-prevention facility in Dallas, Texas,” says Marsia Geldert-Murphey, ASCE president.

“National Stormwater Day and the anniversary of the IIJA provide a wonderful opportunity to further educate the public on these issues, as robust, reliable stormwater infrastructure systems are essential to keeping American communities safe.”

The ASCE’s 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure included a category on stormwater infrastructure for the first time. The category received a “D” grade – one of the lowest in the report card. Adding stormwater to the list of infrastructure categories covered by ASCE’s national and state report cards heightens public awareness of current conditions, serving as an important advocacy tool for prioritizing these critical systems.

The IIJA addressed many of the recommendations made the group’s annual report cards, and made historic investments in the resilience of our nation’s infrastructure systems. However, the bill also furthered the goals celebrated during National Stormwater Day, addressing stormwater pollution and providing $280 million annually for stormwater reuse grants and sanitary sewer overflows.

As we celebrate these investments in the nation’s infrastructure, ASCE said in a release that it stands ready to continue to work with policymakers to ensure we prioritize the resilience of our critical systems.

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation’s infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org.