Submitted by Gabe Crognale
In a welcome relief to many NH communities, the NH Congressional Delegation welcomed over $55 Million in funds for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure upgrades in a Press Release dated Feb. 21. The funding for this much needed assistance to many communities hard hit from various pollution sources.
Previous articles dealing with PFAS have been pulblished in the Londonderry Times explaining groundwater contamination in Londonderry by the actions of Saint Gobain, who have since decided to vacate its facility, even as a mandated Consent Order is in effect mandating remediation and correction of the contamination to affected local domestic water users.
This funding comes from a bipartisan infrastructure law which the delegation fought for and supported. The funding is part of the larger $50 billion+ investment in water infrastructure upgrades from that same bipartisan infrastructure law, and is structured to support critical water infrastructure that protects both the public health and pristine water bodies across the state, used for both drinking water and recreational uses, where appropriate.
“The historic bipartisan infrastructure law continues to deliver for the Granite State. This funding to support drinking water systems, wastewater infrastructure and improve the health of our lakes, rivers and streams will benefit our communities for years to come. The dedicated funding to address PFAS comes at a critical time as our understanding grows of how widespread the problem is and how important limiting exposure is for people’s health and the environment. We were proud to champion these record infrastructure investments, and it’s exciting to see these funds continue flowing to NH,” said Sen. Shaheen, Sen. Hassan, Representative Kuster, and Representative Pappas.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda continues to transform communities for the better with this latest infusion of funds for critical water infrastructure projects,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With $50 billion in total, the largest investment in water infrastructure in our nation’s history, EPA will enable communities across the nation to ensure safer drinking water for their residents and rebuild vital clean water infrastructure to protect public health for decades to come.”
“Outdated infrastructure and aging pipes that fail; climate change impacts that cause sewer systems to overflow; emerging contaminants, like PFAS, that may affect our health – these are challenges that communities across our region face every day, especially in underserved and disadvantaged communities. With today’s announcement, we are allocating over $408 million of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to combat these challenges with much-needed water infrastructure projects across New England,” said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “Every person, every child deserves safe and clean drinking water; and together with our state and local partners, we are financing upgrades to wastewater treatment plants, replacing old and aging water mains, and developing new filtration sites to remove contaminants from drinking water to make that a reality.”
The EPA announcement targeting NH is part of the larger $5.8 billion nationwide investment that is funded via the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF), one of the foremost of EPA’s signature water investment programs. This multi- billion-dollar investment has been designed to fund various state-run, low-interest loan programs aimed at addressing key challenges facing our domestic waterways, split up into the following buckets: $2.6 billion towards the Clean Water SRF for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure; and $3.2 billion towards the Drinking Water SRF for drinking water infrastructure nationwide.
The Press Release also included targeted funding for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law General Supplemental funds and Emerging Contaminant funds for SRF programs for fiscal year 2024. EPA further states that the agency anticipates announcing additional allocations for billions of dollars for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Service Line Replacement fund later in the Spring of 2024.
For more information, including state-by-state allocation of 2024 funding, and a breakdown of EPA State Revolving Fund funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, readers are encouraged to visit the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund website (www.epa.gov/dwsrf) and theClean Water State Revolving Fund website www.epa.gov/cwsrf) or contact Rep. Chris Pappas at: (603) 935-6710.
Gabriele Crognale, PE, is a freelance environmental specialist and author. His specialties include: evaluating environmental, health and safety (EHS) issues; and as a writer, delves into complex EHS issues with an investigative focus. His previous works include his signature work, Environmental Management Strategies: The 21st Century Perspective, Prentice-Hall, 1999, along with contributions to Business and the Environment, Safety Management, and PropertyCasualty360.