EPA’s water-infrastructure financing program has moved at a sluggish pace since President Donald Trump took office, approving only three loans so far this year, compared with 18 in 2024 and 24 in 2023.
Water utility trade groups sounded the alarm about the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program’s slowdown in a letter to Administrator Lee Zeldin late last month, asking that EPA resume “the previous pace” of loan closings. There are 38 pending water and wastewater projects that have applied for loans, according to the program webpage.
“Interest in WIFIA financing remains very high across the drinking water, wastewater, water reuse, and stormwater sectors,” the letter states. “However, the slowdown in WIFIA loan closings this year has begun to raise concerns among our members.”
The letter was signed by senior leaders at the Water Environment Federation, the American Water Works Association, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the WateReuse Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.
