New Economic Benefits Analysis Of Drinking Water And Clean Water State Revolving Funds Reveals Billions In Return On Federal Investment

Report estimates economic impacts of federal SRF funding on output, labor income, job creation, and federal tax revenue

A new economic benefits analysis of the impacts of increased funding for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRF), released recently by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the WateReuse Association, has revealed that a requested $34.7B of federal SRF spending will generate $102.7B in total economic input and create more than 500,000 U.S. jobs.

WEF and WateReuse conducted the analysis at the request of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for an April 7 hearing that examined the federal role in water/wastewater infrastructure funding. The preliminary findings were included in the organizations’ joint testimony and have since been verified and officially entered into the Committee’s official record. Using the IMPLAN economic model—which captures the effect of spending as it ripples through the economy—the organizations examined the estimated impacts (output, labor income, jobs, and federal tax revenue) of SRF-funded projects in four example states.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee included a Sense of the Senate provision in S. 2848, The Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which cited the findings of the WEF/WateReuse analysis, and calls upon Congress to provide robust funding for the SRF programs. The Committee passed S. 2848 on April 28 and the bill is now awaiting full Senate consideration.

Based on an assumption that the proposed $34.7B in allocations ($14.7B for drinking water and $20B for clean water) would be spent over a ten-year period (2017-2021), the final report results include:

• $34.7B in federal SRF spending results in $7.43B in federal tax revenues;
• When leveraged with the state SRF program funds, a $34.7B federal investment will result in $32.3B in federal tax revenue or $0.93 for every dollar spent;
• On average, 16.5 jobs are created for each million dollars of SRF funding, meaning that a $34.7B federal investment will result in 506,000 new jobs; and
• Every million dollars of SRF spending results in $2.95M in U.S. economic input, meaning that a $34.7B federal investment will generate $102.7B in total economic input.

“SRFs are widely acknowledged as one of the most successful infrastructure funding programs, yet the resources needed to maintain and upgrade our systems remains out of sync with current investment levels,” said WEF Executive Director Eileen O’Neill. “This report shows that water and wastewater infrastructure is a sound and wise economic investment that also provides immeasurable returns for public health, the environment, and our future.”

“There’s little dispute that our nation’s infrastructure is badly in need of repair,” said WateReuse Association Executive Director Melissa Meeker. “With release of this report, it’s also abundantly clear that SRFs both contribute to a high quality of life for taxpayers and foster a robust economy.”

Click here to read the “WEF/WateReuse Analysis of National Economic, Job Creation, and Tax Revenue Benefits from Increased Funding to the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds.”

About WEF
Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 33,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. Since 1928, WEF and its members have protected public health and the environment. As a global water sector leader, our mission is to connect water professionals; enrich the expertise of water professionals; increase the awareness of the impact and value of water; and provide a platform for water sector innovation. For more information, visit www.wef.org.

About WateReuse
WateReuse is an international thought-leader on alternative water supply development and the global go-to source for applied research, education, and advocacy on water reuse. Representing a coalition that includes utilities, government agencies, and industry; WateReuse works to educate policymakers and the public on the science, economic value, and environmental benefits of treating water to safely use it for designated purposes, such as irrigation, manufacturing, and drinking. For more information, visit www.watereuse.org.