Various news agencies are reporting that President Trump’s Budget, which is scheduled to be released in mid March, will drastically cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. If this happens, CleanWaterWeekly readers can expect to hear news of drastic cuts to the State Revolving Funds which provide low-cost financing to states for clean water and drinking water infrastructure projects.

Cutting the SRF’s is the wrong thing to do. Not only is America’s water infrastructure in great need of repair and replacement, but cutting the only dedicated funding source for water infrastructure, and one of the federal governments only well-managed programs, will only make matters worse.

As we have reported here several times, investing in water infrastructure is a safe and economic benefiting investment. Water infrastructure project default rates are less than 1%. Investing in water infrastructure creates jobs in the construction, service, and materials manufacturing industries, not to mention the quantifiable number of jobs that are supported by the access to safe, clean, reliable water infrastructure. Strengthening our water infrastructure is necessary for our public health, national security, and transportation.

We, at the Clean Water Council will be actively working to stop these devastating cuts to one of America’s most vital economic and job simulators; water infrastructure. Please keep watch in coming weeks for opportunities for you to get involved and express your displeasure with President Trump’s budget to your Representatives and Senators.