Inflation Reduction Act funding will help improve access to reliable domestic water supplies
Honolulu – The Bureau of Reclamation is making $5.5 million available to U.S. Territories through the President’s Investing in America agenda for projects that will provide domestic water supplies to communities or households that do not have reliable access to potable water. Funding will be available for planning, design, or construction of water projects. The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible to receive funding, made available through the Inflation Reduction Act.
"The U.S. territories face unique challenges in supporting their communities with clean, reliable water supplies, including aging infrastructure and sea-level rise, " said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. "Investments from the Investing in America agenda will assist Reclamation in supporting the U.S. territories as they seek a reliable water supply for their communities and citizens."
The announcement was made at the U.S. Department of the Interior's Territorial Climate and Infrastructure Workshop, which convened local, federal and territorial representatives to discuss how the Investing in America agenda is providing once-in-a-generation climate and infrastructure resources to the U.S. territories, including investments in ecosystem restoration and climate resilience.
Reclamation has long provided engineering services and technical assistance to the U.S. territories through an interagency agreement with the Office of Insular Affairs. Reclamation will now begin conversations with the U.S. territory stakeholders to determine the allocation of the funding to meet their water supply needs.
To learn more about Reclamation's implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, please visit: https://www.usbr.gov/inflation-reduction-act/.
