FY 2026 Fiscal Appropriations/U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee: Association of Clean Water Administrators Testimony

The Association of Clean Water Administrators (“ACWA”) transmitted April 4th testimony to the United States Senate Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Other Related Agencies Appropriation Committee addressing FY 2026 fiscal appropriations.

The testimony was submitted to United States Senators Murkowski and Merkley.

ACWA describes itself as a national, non-partisan professional organization whose members are the state, interstate, and territorial officials responsible for the implementation of surface water protection programs in the United States.

ACWA notes by way of introduction its request that the Appropriations Committee:

…robustly fund surface water programs funded through Clean Water Act (CWA) §106 State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG), the CWA § 319 programs, and the geographic programs like the Chesapeake Bay, the Long Island Sound, and the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force.

The organization argues that as the Trump Administration “works to reorganize and downsize the federal government”, that:

…robust appropriations for state programs are even more critical than ever as states consider the most efficient ways to implement the CWA and Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative.

An analysis is undertaken of the effect of inflation on federal funding that has been provided to the states pursuant to the reference CWA programs. It argues that programs such as the § 106, Categorical Grant, and others have had significant impact.

ACWA also notes:

• States/interstates need adequate resources to meet CWA obligations.
• Funding is especially critical as the water quality challenges facing states have grown more complex.
• Inflationary pressures make it hard for states to keep up with the recruitment and retention of key personnel because of the rising cost of living.
• Investment in modern infrastructure like electronic permitting and reporting is required.
• States must receive the resources needed to implement federal environmental programs pursuant to their obligations connected with cooperative federalism and cross-agency partnerships.
• Expedient/adequate funding for state environmental programs is in the national interest, impacts economic development, protects public health, and continues the success achieved under the CWA for more than 50 years.
• Unfunded mandates will lead to decreased staffing, technical expertise, and increased infrastructure needs, straining already limited state budgets.
• Failure to provide adequate funding for mandated water quality programs threatens the ability of the states to effectively safeguard water resources.
• Federal support for state programs has been eroded by increased impacts of population, use of waterbodies, complexity of water quality challenges, and the realities of inflation.

ACWA requests that at a minimum, funding be maintained at Fiscal Year 2024 funding levels to address the referenced needs until the Trump Administration determines which federal agency resources and responsibilities will remain.

A copy of the testimony can be downloaded here.