Infrastructure Bill Passes with $400 Million in New Water Efficiency Grant Funds
On November 5th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3684, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which had previously passed the U.S. Senate. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law soon.
AWE has been the lead advocate for water efficiency funding within the federal infrastructure bill, and we are pleased that it includes $400 million in new funding over 5 years for western states' water efficiency through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Water Smart grant program. Thanks to AWE members that signed letters of support, contacted congressional staff, and provided examples of water conservation programs in need of funding. This is a major victory for water efficiency!
At the same time, we continue to advocate for water efficiency grant funding that would be available nationally, and a change to the U.S. tax code to make water conservation rebates tax-free, within the Democrat’s Build Back Better Act.
Learn more about water efficiency legislation and AWE's advocacy efforts on our Legislative Watch Page.