Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making more than $90 million available for major water infrastructure projects across Massachusetts, the agency announced on Oct. 30.
The funds can be used to modernize aging wastewater infrastructure, manage stormwater, and improve drinking water infrastructure.
The majority of the funding will go to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund ($54 million) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund ($25 million). The EPA is also facilitating a one-time transfer of $30 million from the clean water fund to the drinking water fund to address lead in drinking water in schools in Boston as well as schools and child care facilities in communities across the state. In addition, the EPA announced grant funding for the same purpose: $6.2 million to the Boston Public Schools and $3 million to the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust.
The grants to Massachusetts schools are among the first ever under the Reduction in Lead Exposure via Drinking Water program created by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. The program focuses on remediating lead exposure in disadvantaged communities by installing thousands of water fountains and bottle filling stations in schools and child care facilities.
“Reducing lead in drinking water is a priority for the Commonwealth, and the funding announced today by the EPA will be a tremendous resource as we work to protect public health all across the state,” said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Martin Suuberg. “With these funds, we can expand our testing program and sample over 600 more schools and childcare facilities, partner with the Clean Water Trust to install more than 1,200 filtered water-bottle filling stations at schools and child care centers, modernize our aging wastewater infrastructure, and improve drinking water systems across Massachusetts.”