Sizing the U.S. Federal Water Funding Cliff

Federal infrastructure funding for water and wastewater in the U.S. is entering a crucial transition, according to Bluefield Data, a leading research firm.

The two major programs behind the 2021 to 2026 investment surge, the IIJA’s SRF supplemental appropriations and ARPA’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, are set to expire concurrently, dropping combined annual federal funding an estimated 63%, from US$23.4 billion in 2026 to US$8.6 billion in 2027. Bluefield Data added, “The impact will not be uniform.”