Sponsors (21)
The bill directs much larger, more flexible grants to help utilities deploy smart, resilient water systems and increases transparency, but shifts some planning and long‑term cost burdens to localities and raises federal spending concerns.
Local water utilities and the communities they serve can receive much larger grants (up to $50 million) to build resilient alternative water supplies and modernize systems with sensors, AI, and leak detection, enabling bigger projects that improve reliability.
Utilities will be able to use grant funds for implementation, training, and operations of intelligent water technologies, making it easier to deploy, staff, and sustain new systems.
EPA must report within 180 days and then annually on grant awards, resiliency improvements, and denied applications, increasing transparency and oversight of how funds are used.
Classifying intelligent-technology investments as non‑O&M could shift lifecycle operating and maintenance costs onto utilities (and ultimately ratepayers) after grants end, increasing future local budgets.
Prohibiting grant funds for planning and feasibility studies forces localities to front early-stage costs or delay projects if they lack local funds, disadvantaging smaller or poorer communities.
Raising the maximum authorized grant from $5 million to $50 million increases federal spending and could create budgetary trade-offs or competition for appropriations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds "intelligent water infrastructure" to the pilot program, allows grant funding for deployment and operations of such tech, requires EPA reports, and raises a statutory $5M figure to $50M.
Official title: To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the pilot program for alternative water source projects, and for other purposes.
Introduced November 18, 2025 by Robert P. Bresnahan · Last progress November 18, 2025
Amends the federal pilot program for alternative water source projects to add and fund “intelligent water infrastructure technology” (sensors, real‑time monitoring, AI, advanced metering, predictive groundwater management, leak detection, digital design/management tools, etc.). It allows grant funds for engineering, design, construction, implementation, training, and operations tied to these technologies, clarifies such technology costs are not treated as prohibited operation or maintenance, prohibits using grant funds for planning/feasibility studies or routine operation/maintenance, requires an initial EPA report within 180 days and annual reports thereafter, and raises a monetary figure from $5,000,000 to $50,000,000 in the statute.