PHOENIX — Federal funding is reshaping water infrastructure across the U.S.
More than $43 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act is going toward Arizona’s aging water system. However, as President-elect Trump’s new administration prepares to take office, questions are surfacing about the future of these investments.
“There’s always a risk when there are changes in leadership that, you know, programs can change, and funding opportunities can go away,” said Ari Neumann from the Rural Community Assistance Corporation.
It’s one of the organizations that has put the funding to use, helping communities in southern Arizona upgrade and replace outdated infrastructure built decades ago to ensure safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.
“We’re working still in Elfrida, in Cochise County,” Neumann stated. “They’ve been experiencing a lot of leaks in their pipes and things. One of those systems that was built more than 50 years ago. They are really looking to replace a lot of that infrastructure that’s already in the ground with new, modern, solid infrastructure that’s going to carry them forward for the next 30 years.”
Another organization that helps distribute these critical dollars for essential projects is the U.S. Water Alliance.
“In many cities, places, and communities around the country, the pipes that deliver your drinking water, for instance, are more than 100 years old,” said Christy Harowski with the U.S. Water Alliance. “They are in desperate need of repair or replacement, and that funding was intended to be distributed to communities across the entire country that needed it the most.”
Both organizations cite research done in May by the agency A-B, showing that nearly 70% of more than 7,000 registered voters believe that elected officials should prioritize investment in water infrastructure.
Harowski stated that the topic of water has traditionally been nonpartisan.
“It should continue to be nonpartisan. It’s the only resource, other than air, that human beings need, literally, in order to survive.”
The $55 billion in water infrastructure funding nationwide is guaranteed, but the incoming Trump-Vance administration may not view future funding as a priority. However, organizations like the Rural Community Assistance Corporation and the U.S. Water Alliance remain optimistic that more dollars will flow into these projects.
“Investing in water is investing in the future of these communities and in America’s future. And so we really think that, even as there is a change, we hope to see continued bipartisan support for these measures,” Neumann said.
