Biden Signs Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, Boon for Great Lakes, Clean Water
CONTACT:
Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
Jordan Lubetkin, Lubetkin@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589
Ann Arbor, Mich. (November 15, 2021)—President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill today, paving the way for historic investments in drinking water and sewage treatment infrastructure, Great Lakes restoration, and core clean water priorities. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is heralding the bill as a tremendous victory for people and communities.
“The bipartisan infrastructure bill is a victory for the Great Lakes and the millions of people who depend on them for their drinking water, health, jobs, and quality of life,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “This bill is a big step forward in addressing the water infrastructure crisis threatening our communities and will provide much-needed help to the people who have been most impacted by pollution. We thank President Joe Biden and members of Congress for working together to make infrastructure and clean water a national priority.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest $1.2 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure, including $50 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Investing in water infrastructure protects public health and improves climate resiliency of our communities, reducing maintenance and operational costs, and creating good-paying local jobs. The act also contains $1 billion to clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce farm and city runoff pollution, and confront invasive species through the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to the EPA, need more than $188 billion over 20 years to update their drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. (This chart contains the water infrastructure needs of each state.)
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 170 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes.###