Support Funding for National Priorities Water Research in FY2020!
The water sector in the United States is vital for supporting healthy families and thriving communities. Today, the water sector is facing unprecedented challenges, including extreme drought, catastrophic flooding, failing infrastructure, emerging contaminants, and dramatic changes in population. Water research will play a critical role in developing cost-effective solutions to these challenges to ensure thriving, resilient communities, create jobs, and support healthy families.
As you know, the need is great. While a recent survey estimated approximately $300 million in unfunded water research projects, this represents only a small fraction of the entire water sector’s research, development, and demonstration needs. In the past two years, Congress has appropriated between $600 − $700 million for EPA research, but less than 15% of EPA’s Science and Technology Account funding is dedicated to water-related research. Less than 1% of these funds supports applied research for water utilities.
In 2019 Congress took an important step forward by appropriating $5 million to support the EPA’s National Priorities Water Research program. This is the only source of federal funds that supports collaborative, extramural, cost-shared partnerships with non-profit, water-sector research institutions that address the water sector’s research needs. In addition, Congress authorized a $10 million federal investment in the development, deployment, and demonstration of water technologies through the Innovative Water Technologies grant program through the America’s Water Infrastructure Act.
Please reach out and urge your Members of Congress to provide additional funding to support these two programs in fiscal year 2020. Specifically: • To increase funding for the National Priorities Water Research grant program to $20 million to reflect urgent research needs of the water sector. • To fully fund the Innovative Water Technologies grant program at $10 million, as authorized, for fiscal year 2020.
Robust funding for these competitive grant programs will support transformative research approaches and technology deployment that will enable the water sector to respond to current and future challenges and protect American families.
Write your Members today!
Support Funding for National Priorities Water Research in FY2020!
The water sector in the United States is vital for supporting healthy families and thriving communities. Today, the water sector is facing unprecedented challenges, including extreme drought, catastrophic flooding, failing infrastructure, emerging contaminants, and dramatic changes in population. Water research will play a critical role in developing cost-effective solutions to these challenges to ensure thriving, resilient communities, create jobs, and support healthy families.
As you know, the need is great. While a recent survey estimated approximately $300 million in unfunded water research projects, this represents only a small fraction of the entire water sector’s research, development, and demonstration needs. In the past two years, Congress has appropriated between $600 − $700 million for EPA research, but less than 15% of EPA’s Science and Technology Account funding is dedicated to water-related research. Less than 1% of these funds supports applied research for water utilities.
In 2019 Congress took an important step forward by appropriating $5 million to support the EPA’s National Priorities Water Research program. This is the only source of federal funds that supports collaborative, extramural, cost-shared partnerships with non-profit, water-sector research institutions that address the water sector’s research needs. In addition, Congress authorized a $10 million federal investment in the development, deployment, and demonstration of water technologies through the Innovative Water Technologies grant program through the America’s Water Infrastructure Act.
Please reach out and urge your Members of Congress to provide additional funding to support these two programs in fiscal year 2020. Specifically: • To increase funding for the National Priorities Water Research grant program to $20 million to reflect urgent research needs of the water sector. • To fully fund the Innovative Water Technologies grant program at $10 million, as authorized, for fiscal year 2020.
Robust funding for these competitive grant programs will support transformative research approaches and technology deployment that will enable the water sector to respond to current and future challenges and protect American families.
Write your Members today!