Nevada gets $44M for water projects

More than $44 million in federal funds will go toward upgrading Nevada’s water infrastructure, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.

The funds are from Congress’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has invested almost $186 million in water projects across the state.

About half of the money will go toward grants or forgiveness loans to reach underfunded communities that need the upgrades the most, the release said. All of it will allow local governments to pursue projects through Environmental Protection Agency financial aid programs.

Nevada’s share is a part of a larger pot of $5.8 billion the EPA says will pay for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater upgrades across the country. That marks the largest federal investment in water infrastructure in U.S. history, the agency said.

“All people deserve the peace of mind that the water they drink, swim and bathe in, and use to feed their families is safe, readily available and clean,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in a release. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is making this a reality for tens of millions of Americans throughout the Pacific Southwest, especially those that need it the most.”

One of the projects the law has funded is a Las Vegas Valley Water District drinking well on the Colorado River — an effort that allowed for more storage of treated water. Throughout different states, projects funded through the law have helped communities address “forever chemicals” in their water supply, replaced lead water lines and more.