Funding for Water Infrastructure Modernization
Non-revenue water reduction, SCADA modernization, and resilience investments increasingly qualify for outside funding — both domestic and international. We'll help point you toward which programs may fit your project.
For U.S. Utilities
Domestic programs administered federally or through state agencies.
EPA Drinking Water & Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) — low-interest loans administered at the state level for municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, including non-revenue water and modernization projects
WIFIA (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) — federal credit assistance for projects of $20 million or more, or $5 million or more for communities of 25,000 people or fewer
USDA Rural Development — water and wastewater infrastructure loans and grants for rural communities
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — added federal funding through the State Revolving Funds for fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for lead service line replacement, resilience and modernization; check your state’s remaining allocations
Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories
Recovery and resilience programs that often apply alongside the federal sources above.
FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation — funds for recovery and resilience projects
EPA supplemental appropriations — for hurricane-related water needs
HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT) — disaster recovery and mitigation funds
For International & Developing-Market Utilities
Multilateral and development-finance programs — available to eligible borrowing member countries, not U.S. domestic utilities.
World Bank — for water supply, wastewater, resilience, utility reform, and climate adaptation projects
International Finance Corporation (IFC) — for private-sector and public-private water infrastructure
Asian Development Bank (ADB) — for water, sanitation, leakage reduction, reuse, and climate resilience
African Development Bank (AfDB) — for drinking water, sanitation, and utility capacity building
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) — for water, wastewater, non-revenue water reduction, and modernization
European Investment Bank (EIB) — for large-scale municipal and regional water infrastructure
Green Climate Fund (GCF) — for climate-resilient water, drought adaptation, and system strengthening
United Nations development and water programs — supporting planning, resilience, and capacity building in developing markets
How funding programs differ
Global and domestic programs are typically tied to different priorities:
- Climate resilience
- Utility reform
- Service expansion
- Poverty reduction
- Water security
- Sanitation access
- Loss reduction and efficiency
That means the application narrative usually needs to go beyond technical scope — showing social impact, climate benefit, and institutional capacity, not just the technical plan.
Where EGI fits
The strongest funding narratives are built on measurable infrastructure improvements — exactly what these service lines produce:
If you're pursuing funding for a water modernization project, ask us which programs may fit — we're glad to point you in the right direction.