This bill updates the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, a federal loan program that helps communities finance water projects. The legislation expands eligibility to include rural water projects and defines "small communities" as those with populations up to 25,000 people, lowering a project cost threshold from $5 million to $1 million. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers will provide technical assistance to small communities seeking funding and must launch an outreach plan within 180 days to promote available financial assistance. The bill also allows the use of collaborative project delivery methods like design-build contracts for water infrastructure projects and extends loan repayment periods to up to 55 years for projects with longer useful lives. It authorizes $68 million annually to the EPA and $15 million annually to the Army Corps of Engineers through fiscal year 2027 to administer the program, and requires federal agencies to report to Congress on implementation within one year.
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