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West Orange, N.J. (September 10, 2026) - As communities across the United States recognize National Preparedness Month, Trust in Water is highlighting a funding gap for many Americans who are served by private, regulated wastewater utilities. Recently, these utilities have  called on Congress to expand eligibility for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) so that all wastewater providers can access one of the federal government’s most effective infrastructure financing tools. Preparedness begins underground, with water and wastewater systems built to withstand storms, floods and the strain of age.

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund helps states finance wastewater infrastructure at below-market rates. Private, regulated wastewater utilities as well as co-op water utilities are excluded from the program, even though the customers they serve contribute to it through federal tax dollars. That exclusion creates a two-tiered system in which access to low-cost capital depends not on need or public benefit, but on ownership structure.

“Preparedness starts with infrastructure. We need to invest in our water and wastewater systems before there is an emergency, not after one,” said Jerry Keenan, President, NJ Alliance for Action and Trust in Water Leadership Council member. “If a project protects public health, strengthens a community and benefits customers, it should have access to affordable financing regardless of who owns the system.”

A Financing Gap With Real Costs

Regulated utilities are increasingly called upon to stabilize and rehabilitate distressed public systems, often at the direction of state agencies. Those systems frequently require substantial upgrades to treatment facilities, replacement of collection system pump stations and modernization of aging infrastructure. Without access to low-cost financing, more of that cost falls to customers.

Access to CWSRF financing would help stretch infrastructure dollars further while keeping investment affordable. Because regulated utilities operate under state regulatory oversight, the savings from lower-cost capital are passed through to customers.

In a recent op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail by Scott Wyman, president of West Virginia American Water, it's clear that private companies do not benefit directly from access to CWSRF, but rather, customers gain direct benefits through rate stabilization and affordability Additionally, Wyman highlights that expanding eligibility of CWSRF to private utilities would not weaken the program, but rather, the program would be strengthened as private utilities repay loans with interest.

The Clean Water SRF Parity Act

The Clean Water SRF Parity Act (HR 3862), introduced by Reps. Mike Bost, R-Ill., and John Garamendi, D-Calif., is a path forward. The legislation would allow states to extend low-interest CWSRF loans to all wastewater providers, public and private alike, while codifying consumer protections to ensure that 100 percent of the savings benefit customers.

The bill also preserves state flexibility. It does not mandate that loans be awarded to any particular entity and does not set aside funding for private providers. State agencies would continue to direct resources where they will have the greatest impact.

In a recent report, Trust in Water highlights how the Clean Water SRF parity act accelerates compliance, lowers costs and protects public health. Additionally, equitable access to funds allows private providers to more rapidly respond to failing and distressed wastewater utilities in need of immediate investment and improvement.

Preparedness Starts with Infrastructure

The 2026 National Preparedness Month theme, “Americans Stand Ready,” emphasizes the proactive steps that make communities more resilient. For water and wastewater systems, readiness is a function of investment. Systems that have gone years without upgrades are the ones most likely to fail when heavy rain, flooding or extreme cold arrives, sending untreated wastewater into homes, streets and local waterways.

Financing determines how quickly that work gets done. When utilities can borrow at lower rates, they can complete resilience projects sooner and at less cost to customers. A financing gap is therefore a preparedness gap, and it falls hardest on the communities with the oldest systems and the fewest resources.

About Trust in Water

Trust in Water is a 501(c)(4) non-profit entity created to provide education about the role of private water and wastewater providers as trusted partners in delivering safe, clean, reliable, and sustainable water solutions to communities across America. For more information on Trust in Water, please visit www.trustinh2o.com.

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In Scranton, Pennsylvania, a municipal wastewater system faced long-standing regulatory, operational and financial challenges that required a sustainable path forward. A private, regulated provider delivered long-term solutions with real results.

How A Private, Regulated Provider Protects Drinking Water Through Source Water Monitoring, Surveillance and Preparedness

Across Virginia, communities are facing many of the same challenges confronting water systems nationwide: aging infrastructure, increasing regulatory requirements, workforce pressures, and growing capital needs. For some communities, partnering with a regulated private water provider has created a pathway to long-term investment while allowing local leaders to focus on other community priorities. The experiences of Waverly and Cape Charles demonstrate how private sector partnerships can help communities strengthen critical infrastructure, improve service reliability, and create opportunities for future growth.

West Orange, N.J. (August 28, 2026) - As communities across the United States recognize National Water Quality Month and water leaders worldwide convene for World Water Week, Trust in Water is highlighting a recent white paper documenting how private, regulated wastewater service providers have helped communities stabilize aging systems, reduce overflows and untreated discharges, modernize infrastructure and protect local waterways. When wastewater systems leak, overflow or otherwise fail, pollution can reach rivers and streams and threaten the clean water communities need to thrive. Investing in reliable wastewater infrastructure is also an investment in the environment.

The report, How Private, Regulated Wastewater Providers Are Transforming Communities, brings together eight case studies from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, Missouri and Illinois. Across systems with different histories and needs, the paper identifies a consistent pattern: access to capital, technical expertise and economies of scale can help communities overcome years of underinvestment and put essential wastewater service on a more stable, compliant and sustainable path.

National Water Quality Month serves as a reminder that protecting water quality starts long before water reaches the tap. It depends on the wastewater systems beneath our communities working as they should. When those systems leak or overflow, the consequences extend beyond infrastructure. Untreated wastewater can pollute rivers, harm ecosystems and threaten the clean water. Investing in a stable, modern wastewater system is an investment in the environment.

A Record of Measurable Results

The communities featured in the white paper faced recurring sewer overflows, untreated discharges, aging treatment facilities, consent decrees and limited local capacity to fund the upgrades required. These conditions did not just threaten reliable service; they also put rivers, streams and surrounding ecosystems at risk. The case studies show how long-term investment, paired with accountable, professional operation, can stabilize essential infrastructure and deliver lasting environmental protection. Examples include the following:

Scranton, Pennsylvania: More than $287 million has been invested in system upgrades and combined sewer overflow controls. Regulatory violations declined from more than 15 to zero, more than 40 overflow-reduction projects have been completed or are in progress, and the system can capture and treat an additional 118 million gallons annually.

Long Hill, New Jersey: More than $53 million has supported wastewater improvements, including cleaning and lining more than 30,000 linear feet of sewer main and rehabilitating 130 manholes. The improvements helped the township lift its sewer ban and extend service to residents relying on aging septic systems while strengthening protection of the Passaic River.

York, Pennsylvania: The provider has invested $13.7 million to date and plans another $60 million in capital improvements through 2030. Modernization of the collection system has diverted up to 70 million gallons during peak-flow events and reduced overflow risks affecting Codorus Creek and downstream waterways.

The report also details how private, regulated providers helped eliminate raw sewage discharges in McKeesport, Pennsylvania; build resilience against wet-weather failures in Exeter, Pennsylvania; end chronic bypasses and overflow violations in Sheridan, Indiana; stabilize operations and improve monitoring in Ironton, Missouri; and address consent decree requirements through sustained investment in Godfrey, Illinois.

Reliable Wastewater Systems Protect Water Quality

The 2026 World Water Week theme, "Water for People and Progress," underscores the connection between dependable water infrastructure, public health, environmental protection and community opportunity. National Water Quality Month reinforces the same point: protecting water resources requires sustained investment in systems that safely collect and treat wastewater before pollution can reach the environment.

About Trust in Water

Trust in Water is a 501(c)(4) non-profit entity created to provide education about the role of private water and wastewater providers as trusted partners in delivering safe, clean, reliable, and sustainable water solutions to communities across America. For more information on Trust in Water, please visit www.trustinh2o.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Trust in Water

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In 2008, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District acquired Felton's water system from a private, regulated water provider through condemnation. At the time, the system was well-run, operated and maintained by the provider with traditional oversight from the California Public Utilities Commission. Nearly two decades later, Felton’s story provides an opportunity to evaluate the long-term outcomes of that decision.

In Trust in Water polling data, 78% of respondents express a willingness to pay more for higher-quality outcomes, especially when investments are transparent, regulated, and paired with protections for affordability.

For more than 130 years, Granite City has received safe, clean, reliable water from a trusted private, regulated water and wastewater provider. Building on that longstanding relationship, the City transitioned both its wastewater collection system and wastewater treatment plant to that provider, creating a more integrated approach to wastewater service for residents and surrounding communities.

Safe, clean and reliable water and wastewater service is essential to public health, economic growth and vitality, and community well-being. Yet across the country, many small water and wastewater systems face increasing challenges in maintaining aging infrastructure, meeting evolving regulatory requirements and securing the technical expertise needed to operate effectively. As drinking water and wastewater requirements become more complex, these challenges are particularly significant for communities served by systems with fewer than 3,300 people, where limited resources can make long-term planning and investment more difficult.

As the early infrastructure pioneers of modern regulated water and wastewater utilities, private water and wastewater providers have helped communities over generations to achieve public health improvements, support growing populations and sustain economic development through innovation and technical expertise, capital investment and a commitment to reliability.