Water Utility Organizations Urge Congress To Fund WIFIA In FY2015

AWWA, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and the Water Environment Federation are urging members of the House and Senate appropriations committees to fully fund the new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) pilot program in fiscal year 2015.

The fiscal year began Oct. 1, but Congress has only passed a continuing resolution to keep the government running until early December. Appropriations members and staff are preparing omnibus budget legislation to fund the government for the rest of FY 2015 for consideration during the "lame duck" session after the November elections. It is also possible that Congress will be unable to reach agreement on an real budget bill and instead pass another continuing resolution to fund the government until the new Congress convenes in January.

The water organizations pointed out that the US Environmental Protection Agency is in a type of "chicken-and-egg" situation in that members of Congress have asked the agency to show it can stand up the program before they will fund it, but the agency needs funding to fully start up WIFIA. However, EPA staff have held discussions with officials at the Department of Transportation who run that department's similar TIFIA program. Also, EPA has held listening sessions with stakeholders across the country to gain their input on what they would like to see in the new program.

AWWA, AMWA and WEF pointed out in a letter to appropriators (PDF) that Congress approved HR 3080, the bill containing WIFIA, by large margins this year. President Obama signed it into law in June.