EPA provides $44 million for Arizona and Nevada drinking water and wastewater systems

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded funding totaling $44 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements and water pollution reduction throughout Arizona and Nevada, with a focus on small and disadvantaged communities.

“This substantial investment at the federal level helps communities develop the infrastructure needed for clean, safe drinking water and proper wastewater treatment,” EPA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Jared Blumenfeld said. “EPA is committed to protecting the water resources so important to public health.”

The funding, provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Clean Water SRF, will contribute to a range of projects focusing on watershed protection, forest restoration and stormwater management projects, among others. The Drinking Water SRF helps public and private water systems with elements of their services such as treatment, distribution, transmissions and storage infrastructure, while the Clean Water SRF deals with wastewater systems and improvement projects that update plants, sewer collection systems and water reuse facilities.

This funding brings the total amount of EPA money provided to Arizona and Nevada through the SRF programs to $820.3 million, which have been used to restore and protect watersheds, improve efficiency within systems and control nonpoint source pollution.