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The Obama Administration today announced its fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget request, including a funding request of $8.973 billion for the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  This would constitute a 13 percent decrease from EPA’s FY 2010 budget.  This funding includes $1.5 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $950 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).  In total, the SRF requests represent a $947 million reduction from the President’s FY 2011 budget request including a more than $500 million reduction for the CWSRF.  In its budget request, however, the Administration also indicated that the Administration’s longer-term goal is to have the SRFs provide, on average, five percent of total water infrastructure spending annually.

The President’s budget request seeks to preserve historically high levels of funding for the CWSRF.  At the same time, however, Congress is working to finalize the budget for FY 2011.  Last year the President requested $2 billion for the CWSRF and $1.28 billion for the DWSRF.  In their latest continuing resolution proposal for FY 2011, House Republicans have indicated their desire to cut this funding to $690 million for the CWSRF and $830 million for the DWSRF.

The President’s budget does continue to increase funding for enforcement activity and also provides attention to the Administration’s development of a sustainable water infrastructure policy that will focus on working with states and communities to enhance technical, managerial and financial capacity at the state and local level.  NACWA is involved in this effort and will keep members posted as it develops.  NACWA also issued a press release on this budget proposal and continues to voice the message that any cuts to the clean water program  are inappropriate given the EPA-estimated water infrastructure funding gap of nearly $500 billion over the next two decades as well as the expansion of regulatory and enforcement activity. NACWA will continue to keep members informed as developments occur in the budget process.   Please contact John Krohn at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions you may have regarding the budget process.