Congress set to resume debate over critical water funding
Access to safe, abundant, clean water is a basic necessity. However, even as federal regulators are planning to address the harmful effects of forever chemicals, utilities and state and local leaders are grappling with how to fund existing safety measures.
New federal regulations aim to improve the safety of drinking water by setting national and legally enforceable limits for two forever chemicals, PFOA and PFOS. The costs of implementing these regulations are estimated in the billions of dollars for utilities to upgrade infrastructure and implement the new technologies necessary to meet the new limits. These important new safety measures come as local water providers are already facing a backlog of more than $1.6 billion in basic repairs and maintenance to reach a state of good repair, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 Report Card on America’s Infrastructure. This challenge draws attention to the critical need for robust water infrastructure and the importance of federal funding to ensure access to clean water.
As Congress returns from its August recess, the House is expected to move quickly to vote on the FY26 House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which has broad implications for the future of water infrastructure. The Senate passed its version of the bill just before the recess, and while the Senate version maintains current spending levels for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the current House version proposes cutting the Funds by $664 million, or 24%.
United for Infrastructure (UFI) Steering Committee member Value of Water Campaign (VOW) is asking state, regional, and local leaders, water advocates, and others to contact their Congressional delegations to express their support for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs. VOW has drafted a letter template and shared suggested talking points and other resources about the risks of insufficient water infrastructure investment.
UFI Director Ross van Dongen spoke about America’s water infrastructure needs as part of a collaboration with the US Water Alliance at the 2025 One Water Summit. Click the image to watch the video.
Water advocacy doesn’t stop there. VOW is hosting its annual day of action, Imagine a Day Without Water, on October 16, inviting individuals and businesses to reflect on water’s role in our everyday lives, raise awareness, and take action. To support participation, VOW provides a wide range of materials, including sample proclamations, a social media toolkit, educator resources, and posters for businesses. These tools help communities and organizations host local events and amplify the message that water is fundamental to our daily lives, our economy, our environment, and our health.
UFI advocates for robust infrastructure funding in USDOT RFI response
As the leading national infrastructure advocacy organization, United for Infrastructure (UFI) has urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to support a framework that sustains robust funding, ensures Highway Trust Fund solvency, streamlines project delivery, and strengthens infrastructure resiliency.
In a letter from UFI, Director Ross van Dongen highlighted the crucial opportunity that the surface transportation reauthorization legislation has to secure the nation’s economic future, improve safety, and strengthen communities in every state.
Upcoming Events
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September 8 | Washington, D.C.
The American Society of Civil Engineers will host a Congressional briefing to coincide with the updated release of its Pathways to Resilient Communities toolkit. The toolkit guides civil engineers and community leaders across the country on how to ensure the widespread adoption and enforcement of up-to-date, modern building codes and standards in response to severe storms and other threats to infrastructure.
September 9-11 | Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Aerospace Summit is the premier event in the space and aviation industries, bringing together government leaders and industry experts from across the world. For the past two decades, the Chamber has convened the leading voices in these industries for discussions on the latest developments, trends, challenges, and opportunities in aviation, space, and defense.
September 12 | Denver, CO
The Bentley Civil User Conference is returning in 2025 as an in-person event, showcasing their latest advancements in civil engineering. The conference aims to bring together engineers and designers to explore the latest technologies and trends with a focus on road and highway planning, design, analysis, and construction.
September 15-19 | Washington, D.C. and Virtual
National Clean Energy Week is an annual week-long celebration of clean energy innovation to help solve the world’s most pressing challenges in nuclear, solar, wind, wave, hydropower, geothermal, natural gas, biomass, carbon capture, storage, and waste-to-energy technologies. The week brings together business leaders, advocates, policymakers, and trade associations from all perspectives who are dedicated to advancing clean energy.
Mark your calendar for Infrastructure Week 2026
Infrastructure Week 2026 will take place from May 18-22, 2026, and UFI encourages infrastructure-focused organizations and advocates across the country to get involved. Learn how at UnitedforInfrastructure.org/infra-week-
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