AMWA Applauds Introduction Of The Bipartisan Water Infrastructure Resilience And Sustainability Act Of 2026

The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) applauds the introduction of the bipartisan Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act of 2026, S. 3590. The legislation, recently introduced by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and John Curtis (R-Utah), would fund drinking water and wastewater projects to address water utility resilience to natural disasters, extreme weather, and cyber threats.

The Senate bill complements the House version, H.R. 5566, introduced last September by Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Brian Mast (R-Fl.) and Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.). The bill includes reauthorization for a key program, the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, that funds resilience upgrades for AMWA members. In August, the EPA released over $9M in grant funding for the program, with the first grant selections expected to be announced in Spring 2026.

Communities across the United States are facing escalating threats from extreme weather events, severe storms in the East, and drought conditions in the West, and natural disasters and changes to hydrologic conditions pose significant challenges to the nation's drinking water and wastewater utilities. Similarly, an increase in cyber attacks on water systems has created new security concerns. Without resilient water systems, a ransomware attack, a hurricane, a drought, and other similar threats pose the risk of disrupting water service and access to clean drinking water. The cost of adapting to these threats is expected to be significant; in fact, estimates show that a single day of downtime in U.S. water service could result in $120B in lost economic activity and a $69B decline in GDP.

S. 3590 reauthorizes three critical programs to address the cost of water system resilience by offering competitive grants to help communities enhance water supply, increase the resilience to natural hazards and cybersecurity, and invest in innovative technological solutions. The original program, the Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, was first established in America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 and serves small and disadvantaged communities. In 2021, the Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program and the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program were established as complementary programs serving wastewater and large drinking water systems.

"The Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act ensures that our nation's drinking water and wastewater utilities have the resources to address mounting floods, droughts, and cybersecurity risks," said AMWA CEO Tom Dobbins. "AMWA applauds Senators Blunt Rochester and Curtis for taking steps to bolster public health by safeguarding our water infrastructure from future threats and reducing the vulnerability of water service to disruptions."

On January 7, AMWA led a letter of support for the Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act, signed by 13 organizations from the water sector, local government, and public finance. As water systems across the country work to bolster their infrastructure and ensure systems are resilient to emerging risks, the funding through these programs remains critical for safeguarding continued reliable access to clean drinking water.

About The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA)
The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) has been the unified and definitive voice for the nation's largest publicly owned water systems for over 40 years. AMWA's membership serves more than 160 million people with safe drinking water.