The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Pennsylvania nearly $387 million to support clean water efforts and better deliver safe drinking water across the state. Most of this funding, about $341 million, came from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which a news release calls the “largest federal investment in water infrastructure in our nation’s history.” This funding supplements about $46 million appropriated in FY 2023 to Pennsylvania’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs).

“These awards show that EPA is not just a regulator – but is a funder and partner,” says EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ensures communities most in need and those grappling with emerging contaminants such as PFAS have access to funding that will deliver cleaner and safer water for generations to come.”

EPA awards grants to states annually to capitalize the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) that provide low- or no-interest loans for water infrastructure projects. Pennsylvania will use this money to help communities across the state fund necessary water projects that some borrowers may not have been able to afford otherwise.

“Pennsylvania’s water will always be a top priority for the PA Department of Environmental Protection,” says DEP Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “This funding will support infrastructure projects that enhance clean water efforts across the state, further providing recreation opportunities and protecting drinking water.”

Overall, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has allocated more than $50 billion to the EPA to improve drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure across the U.S.