(AGENPARL) – mer 23 ottobre 2024 Issued: Oct 23, 2024 (1:43pm EDT)
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U.S. Virgin Islands Slated to Get a Total of Almost $21M for Water
Infrastructure Through Biden-Harris Investing in America Agenda
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced $3.6 billion in new funding under the Biden-Harris
Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to upgrade water
infrastructure and keep communities safe. US Virgin Islands is slated to get
almost $21 million for drinking water and wastewater improvements – including
the $9 million that was announced as part of EPA’s announcement of the Lead
and Copper Rule Improvements earlier this month. This BIL funding will help
communities across the islands upgrade water infrastructure that is essential
to safely managing wastewater, protecting local freshwater resources, and
delivering safe drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses.      
These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will flow through the Clean Water
and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF and DWSRF), a long-standing
federal-state water investment partnership. This multibillion-dollar
investment will fund state-run, low-interest loan programs that address key
challenges in financing water infrastructure.  Today’s announcement
includes allotments for Puerto Rico’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean
Water General Supplemental funds totaling $8 million, Emerging Contaminant
funds totaling $693,000 and $2.7 million in funds under the Drinking Water
Emerging Contaminant Fund. 
To ensure investments reach communities that need them the most, the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law mandates that a majority of the funding
announced today must be provided to disadvantaged communities in the form of
grants or loans that do not have to be repaid. EPA is changing the odds for
communities that have faced barriers to planning and accessing federal funding
through its Water Technical Assistance program, which helps disadvantaged
communities identify water challenges, develop infrastructure upgrade plans,
and apply for funding. Communities seeking Water Technical Assistance can
request support by completing the?WaterTA request form. These efforts also
advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets
the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow
to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and
overburdened by pollution. 
“Water keeps us healthy, sustains vibrant communities and dynamic
ecosystems, and supports economic opportunity. When our water infrastructure
fails, it threatens?people’s health, peace of mind, and the
environment,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic investment in water, EPA is working
with states and local partners to upgrade infrastructure and address local
challenges—from lead in drinking water, to PFAS, to water main breaks, to
sewer overflows and climate resilience. Together, we are creating good-paying
jobs while ensuring that all people can rely on clean and safe water.” 
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to providing safe drinking
water, resources needed to upgrade aging infrastructure, and address harmful
contaminants,” says EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the critical funds to our governmental
partners in the U.S. Virgin Islands to ensure water quality and reduce
pollution in our waterways.” 
“I deeply appreciate the continued support from the Biden-Harris
Administration toward our efforts to advance critical initiatives that will
improve the quality of life for Virgin Islands residents,” said U.S. Virgin
Islands Governor Albert Bryan. “The water infrastructure funding allocated
through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a vital investment in our
community, ensuring clean and safe drinking water while protecting our natural
resources. These resources enable us to modernize outdated infrastructure and
create good-paying jobs here at home. This is a transformative step in our
ongoing work to build a more resilient, sustainable, and healthy Virgin
Islands for future generations.” 
“I am proud to see the fruition of the work of the Biden-Harris
Administration with this funding announcement. Having worked on The Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law (BIL), I’m so excited it has delivered for our
communities as we said it would, by providing funding to make vital
improvements that will protect public health, preserve water resources, and
create jobs,” said U.S. Representative Stacey Plaskett (USVI). “The
release of these funds to the territory is yet another step forward in
rebuilding the Virgin Islands and walking the path towards our future
together. The Virgin Islands will receive a total of $21 million for water
infrastructure; a crucial investment for communities like ours that have
suffered from a systemic lack of investment over many years. I would like to
thank President Biden and his administration for their continued work and
investment in our country and our territory to upgrade drinking water and
clean water infrastructure.”   
To read stories about how unprecedented investments in water from the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are transforming communities across the country,
visit EPA’s Investing in America’s Water Infrastructure Storymap. To read
more about additional projects, see EPA’s recently released Quarterly Report
on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funded Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF
projects. 
For more information, including the state-by-state allocation of 2025 funding
and a breakdown of EPA SRF funding available under the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, please visit the Clean Water State Revolving Fund website
and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund website. Additionally, the SRF Public
Portal allows users to access data from both the Drinking Water and Clean
Water SRF programs through interactive reports, dashboards, and maps. 
The State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs have been the foundation of water
infrastructure investments for more than 30 years, providing low-cost
financing for local projects across America. SRF programs are critically
important programs for investing in the nation’s water infrastructure. They
are designed to generate significant and sustainable water quality and public
health benefits across the country. Their impact is amplified by the growth
inherent in a revolving loan structure, in which payments of principal and
interest on loans become available to address future needs.