Last month, the Obama Administration released its FY2015 Budget request, and all signs point to utilities tightening yet another notch on the proverbial municipal budget belt.
The request proposes $500 million in cuts to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs (CWSRF and DWSRF), with funding for the CWSRF and DWSRF estimated at $1.018 billion and $757 million, respectively. This comprises a $350-million cut to the CWSRF and a $150-million cut to the DWSRF over last year’s funding levels.
While not surprising, the news of the proposed budget further exposes the growing gap between the need for funding.
Over the weekend, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies along with a coalition of water sector and municipal groups sent a letter to Congress, urging it to reject the proposed budget cuts for the CWSRF and DWSRF programs.
The letter states, “Considering the importance of water and wastewater infrastructure to the well-being of the American people, our communities, and to our economy, it is essential that the federal government remains a strong and reliable partner in meeting the nation’s clean water and safe drinking water needs.”
WWD would like to hear your opinion on this issue. E-mail us at [email protected] or leave a comment on our site.
