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The Obama Administration announced its fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget request today, which includes a funding request of $8.3 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This 1.2 percent, or $105 million, reduction from EPA’s FY 2012 budget comes as no surprise as all federal agencies have been directed to cut spending. The budget request in its entirety can be found here.

Specifically, funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) took a heavy hit, decreasing by $268,806,000 and $59,363,000 respectively. The Administration explains this is “due in part because of the continuing constrained fiscal environment.” Funding for the State Water Pollution Control Grants received a $27 million increase, including $15 million to help address nutrient loadings.

The FY2013 budget request will serve as a baseline for Congressional budget negotiations in the coming months and House Republicans are expected to present their budget request in the next few weeks. For more information, please see the chart below which compares the FY2013 budget request for water programs to the 2012 enacted budget.

Budget Cuts Demonstrate Need for Clean Water Act Paradigm Shift
These budget cuts became public at the same time that NACWA is holding its Winter Conference in Los Angeles where the focus has been on the increasingly costly regulatory requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and NACWA’s related Money Matters…Smarter Investment to Advance Clean Water™ campaign. NACWA's members also made it clear that its advocacy priority must be focused on the need to move toward a “2020 Vision for the Water Resources Utility of the Future”. This Vision would underscore the innovative activities that public utilities are increasingly implementing, the need for added flexibility at the local level to expand these initiatives, and a rethinking of the CWA itself as well as the role of the federal government in moving in this direction. More information on this "2020 Vision" will be made available following NACWA’s Winter Conference. Please contact Hannah Mellman 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.

EPA Releases Budget Figures for Water Programs