Water athletes urge Congress to boost Clean Water SRF funding to stop sewage overflows

More than 200 competitive water athletes, including Team USA members and Olympians, are calling on Congress to significantly increase investment in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to ensure cleaner, safer waterways.

In a letter sent to federal lawmakers, athletes from 26 states urged Congress to dramatically increase funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which is up for reauthorization this month. According to EPA, states will need an estimated $630 billion over the next 20 years to repair aging wastewater and sewage systems, far outpacing current federal allocations. The athletes are requesting Congress raise annual CWSRF funding to $10 billion per year.

“America’s water athletes should be reaching for gold, not worrying about the brown in our waterways,” said John Rumpler, Clean Water Director with Environment America, in a press release. “They, and all Americans, deserve better. Let’s commit the resources to make our waters consistently safe for swimming.”

Public health data underscores the concern: experts estimate 57 million cases of illness occur each year from swimming in contaminated U.S. waters. Environment America’s Safe for Swimming? report found that fecal bacteria levels posed health risks on at least one day in 2024 at 61% of monitored coastal and Great Lakes beaches.

Such contamination has real consequences for aquatic sports. During the 2024 Olympics, elevated E. coli levels in the Seine River delayed the men’s triathlon and forced cancellation of training sessions.

“Our athletes want to bring home medals, not illnesses, from an open swim or rowing regatta,” Rumpler said. “Congress should provide the resources needed to end sewage overflows in America.”

The push adds pressure as lawmakers debate how to fund wastewater upgrades nationwide — a critical issue for utilities, municipalities and the communities they serve.