NEWEA urges Congress to increase water infrastructure funding, address biosolids challenges
The New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) is calling on Congress to increase federal investment in water infrastructure and develop a national strategy for biosolids and PFAS management.
Representatives from Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island met with federal lawmakers during Water Week, held April 12-18, to advocate for increased support for aging wastewater and drinking water infrastructure across New England. According to NEWEA, the region faces mounting financial pressures tied to aging systems, climate impacts and new regulatory requirements.
“For the last 4 decades, our industry has faced an overall decline in federal funds. The underinvestment increases risk to public health and the environment, and slows economic development and housing production due to lack of capacity,” said Mary Barry, executive director of the New England Water Environment Association, in a press release.
NEWEA said federal funding for the water sector has steadily declined since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, when federal support accounted for as much as 60% of industry funding. The organization cited recent estimates projecting potential cuts of up to 65% in fiscal year 2026 funding, while the U.S. water sector faces an estimated $3.4 trillion in infrastructure needs between 2025 and 2044.
“Water is not optional, it is essential,” said Jennie Auster, Vermont state director for the New England Water Environment Association, in a press release. “Yet we continue to treat water infrastructure as an afterthought. Without immediate and sustained federal investment, communities will face rising costs, failing systems, and unacceptable risks to public health.”
The organization also highlighted workforce shortages and growing concerns over biosolids management tied to PFAS regulations. NEWEA said bans on land application in states such as Maine and Connecticut have sharply increased disposal costs and placed additional burdens on utilities and ratepayers.
“Landfills are the worst disposal option for biosolids,” said Mickey Nowak, government affairs committee chair for the Massachusetts Water Environment Association, in a press release. “Methane released from biosolids is a potent threat to the environment, landfilled PFAS is leaching into the ground in high concentrations, and greenhouse gases emitted from trucking sludge hundreds of miles is worsening environmental strain and disposal costs.”
NEWEA is urging Congress to stabilize State Revolving Fund financing, support workforce development initiatives and establish a national biosolids management strategy that includes source reduction efforts and cost-benefit analyses for future PFAS regulations.