The U.S Environmental Protection Agency is sending over $57 million to New England to help upgrade wastewater and stormwater systems across the region.
The EPA said Connecticut will receive $9 million to protect drinking water, limit the PFAS “forever chemicals” in water and build resilience against climate change.
“Improving and upgrading our water infrastructure betters the livelihood of Connecticut's families,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat who represents Greater New Haven, said in a statement.
EPA New England Regional Administrator David Cash echoed that sentiment.
“The investments we are making now will result in long-lasting benefits for communities across New England, from southern Connecticut all the way up to rural northern communities in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire,” Cash said.
Massachusetts is slated to receive $25 million. New Hampshire will get $7 million, Maine and Rhode Island will each receive more than $5 million, and Vermont will get over $3 million for upgrades.
“Upgrading wastewater treatment plants means protecting the environment that sustains our communities, and it means healthier places we live and raise our families,” Cash added.
The EPA has provided low-cost financing to states for water upgrade projects for decades. The money is part of the agency’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
This builds upon $2.4 billion invested in clean water infrastructure this year through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and a stated commitment by the agency to accelerate lead pipe replacement in specific states, including Connecticut.