Sponsors (11)
The bill accelerates PFAS and emerging contaminant treatment at POTWs by covering most project costs and providing multi‑year funding certainty, but it increases federal spending and leaves smaller utilities and local ratepayers to shoulder a meaningful share and added administrative requirements.
Owners and operators of publicly owned treatment works (POTWs)—including local governments, utilities, and rural systems—will receive federal grants covering at least 75% of costs for PFAS and other emerging contaminant treatment projects, enabling them to install upgrades to meet pretreatment and effluent limits and comply with water quality standards.
The bill authorizes predictable funding ($200 million per year for FY2026–FY2028), giving communities multi‑year certainty for planning and implementing treatment projects.
All U.S. taxpayers ultimately fund the program—$600 million in new federal appropriations over three years—raising federal spending and fiscal costs.
Smaller and rural utilities will still need to provide a 25% non‑federal share, which may force local budget reallocations or higher rates for residents.
Tying grant administrative rules to Title VI could impose complex compliance and administrative burdens on recipients similar to State Revolving Fund projects, increasing project overhead for local governments.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates an EPA grant program providing at least 75% federal cost‑share grants to POTWs for planning, design, construction, and compliance to prevent or treat PFAS and other emerging contaminants; authorizes $200M/yr for FY2026–28.
Introduced August 12, 2025 by Hillary Scholten · Last progress August 12, 2025
Creates a new EPA grant program to fund publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) for planning, design, construction, and compliance actions to prevent, limit, or treat PFAS and other emerging contaminants identified by the EPA Administrator. The program must be set up within 180 days of enactment, provides a federal cost share of at least 75 percent (allowing many forms of non‑federal match), and is authorized at $200 million per year for FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028. Grants are subject to the same administrative rules that apply to State water pollution control revolving fund projects except where inconsistent with the new program, and certain Title VI compliance requirements remain binding. The authorization creates a multi‑year funding opportunity but does not itself appropriate funds; actual spending requires subsequent appropriations action.