Welcome
The SRF State Advocates Forum is a diverse, nationwide community of practice focused on increasing equity in implementation of SRF dollars. The Forum creates opportunities for advocates to learn, share lessons, and synergize across geographies and levels of government to pursue more equitable and climate-resilient infrastructure investments. Participants in the Forum include experts, state and national advocates, local leaders, and residents motivated to address water infrastructure challenges – such as drinking water safety, affordability, lead service line replacement, and climate resilience – to advance procedural, distributive and restorative justice.
Are you fighting for safe, clean, and affordable water in your state? Join us!
Resources You Can Find On Our Website!
- Who We Are: Learn about the Forum’s membership + see the states we have represented across the nation.
- Events: Upcoming events hosted by the Forum or Forum members!
- Resources: All of the Forum’s recorded calls and learning sessions that cover a range of topics are included on this page. Use our Factsheets on the Drinking Water and Clean Water SRFs and decode all of the important aspects of the programs. Find the reports, websites, articles, or database you need in our Resource Bank of over 150 resources!
- Advocacy Tools: Find the Forum’s annual Engagement Report, example public comments from Forum members, guides, and other tools for your work.
- Frequently Asked Questions: Your questions about the Forum, SRF advocacy, general water infrastructure funding and more – Answered!
- Water Infrastructure Stories & Successes: Learn more about the strategies that win or even submit your own advocacy successes.
- Get Involved: Become a Forum member through the Mobilize Platform to sustain your advocacy efforts, find colleagues with a common cause, and access all of our resources!
What is Unique About the State Revolving Funds (SRFs)?
The State Revolving Funds (SRF) are the main financing programs established across the country to support drinking water and sanitation infrastructure. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) combine federal capitalization grants with state matching funds to create a self-sustaining, revolving source of low-cost financing for water infrastructure projects. The CWSRF focuses on wastewater treatment, stormwater management, nonpoint source pollution control, and other water quality projects. Meanwhile, the DWSRF supports drinking water infrastructure, from source development to treatment and distribution.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the SRFs
On November 15, 2021, lawmakers enacted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). BIL provides more than $50 billion in supplemental funding – that is, in addition to annual base funding – to the US EPA for water infrastructure investments through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). BIL, expiring in September 2026, was a major injection of federal funding to address the nation’s aging water infrastructure after decades of disinvestment, coupled with a focus on equitable distribution. The SRF Forum formed to help ensure these funds were directed to communities most in need.
Breakdown of BIL Funding:
- $23.4 billion in general program funding for DWSRF and CWSRF ($11.7 billion each), for which allocation must abide by certain provisions including disbursing about half as grants or loan forgiveness. States are encouraged to revise program administration to ensure that funds reach Disadvantaged Communities and those that meet certain affordability criteria. Moreover, states can use funding to offer technical assistance and support climate resilience projects.
- $15.0 billion for Lead Service Line Replacements.
- $5.0 for the Small and Disadvantage Community Grant program within DWSRF.
- $5.0 billion to address emerging contaminants including PFAS.
BIL provides additional financing to strengthen and rebuild America’s water infrastructure by replacing pipes, upgrading water facilities, and ensuring our water systems are resilient for the future.
BIL funding increases each year over the five year period (2022-2026).
Congress appropriates base funding to the SRFs on an annual basis. Funding levels have stayed relatively flat over the last several years. BIL funding, also referred to as supplemental funding, has been allocated through 2026 and is provided on top of the annual appropriations process.
We thank the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, whose generous support funds this space to uplift and convene our members advocating for communities across the country.
