Sponsors (2)
The bill channels federal funds and training to help very small and rural water systems adopt digital monitoring and improve cybersecurity and workforce capacity, improving service reliability and equity but costing taxpayers, creating ongoing maintenance burdens, adding cyber and compliance risks, and potentially diverting funds from physical infrastructure needs.
Rural and other small community water systems receive federal grants to install digital monitoring and control technology, improving leak detection, service reliability, and operational efficiency for those communities.
The program prioritizes very small systems and community-controlled (non‑investor-owned) providers, directing resources toward underserved and equity‑focused water utilities.
Owners and operators get grants for workforce development, including cybersecurity training and technical assistance, building local capacity to operate and secure advanced digital systems and reducing operational vulnerabilities.
Taxpayers will fund about $50 million per year (FY2027–2031) to support the program, increasing federal discretionary spending.
Grant-funded digital systems can create ongoing software, licensing, and maintenance costs that small utilities may struggle to cover after grants expire.
Deploying connected control systems increases cyber risk if local operators do not maintain sustained technical capacity, potentially raising the likelihood of service disruption despite initial training.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates an EPA grant program authorizing $50M/year (FY2027–FY2031) to help rural water systems adopt digital infrastructure, covering projects, software, training, and cybersecurity.
Creates an EPA grant program that funds rural water systems and treatment works to adopt digital infrastructure technologies. The program prioritizes very small and community-controlled systems and authorizes $50 million per year for FY2027–FY2031 to cover design, construction, operation, maintenance, software acquisition and upkeep, workforce training, and cybersecurity. Requires the Comptroller General to study the impacts of digital technologies on rural water infrastructure and report findings to Congress by the end of 2030; grants remain subject to other applicable Federal and State law and funds are available until expended.
Introduced March 3, 2026 by John Boozman · Last progress March 3, 2026