Minnesota will receive $116 million for water projects as part of infrastructure package
Minnesota will receive $116 million in federal water infrastructure funding next year as part of the infrastructure package backed by President Joe Biden and passed by Congress last month.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that Minnesota would receive around $116 million for water projects in 2022, part of a larger $50 billion nationwide investment in water infrastructure laid out in the bill. .
The money is meant to address water infrastructure problems in the state, including lead and other contamination issues.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan urged Gov. Tim Walz in a letter to use the funding to address the disproportionate effect water quality issues have on underserved communities, particularly on tribal land.
“As leaders, we must seize this moment," Regan said in a statement.
"Billions of dollars are about to start flowing to states and it is critical that EPA partners with states, Tribes, and territories to ensure the benefits of these investments are delivered in the most equitable way."
Next year, a total of $7.4 billion will be distributed nationwide for water infrastructure as part of the bill.
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which passed last month in what was a bipartisan vote, with most Democrats and some Republicans in favor, also includes funding for transit, airport, broadband and other projects in Minnesota.
President Joe Biden paid a visit to Rosemount Tuesday to promote the spending package. During the speech, he touched on road and bridge repair, health care costs, child care costs, the impact of the climate crisis, job programs, lead pipes, high-speed internet access, the corporate tax rate and more.
