WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $73 million to the City of Dayton for water infrastructure improvements through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA).

“All Ohio communities should be able to count on clean, drinkable water year-round,” said Brown. “By investing in water infrastructure programs, we’re investing in the future of the Miami Valley and protecting the health of our children.”

Today’s announcement is the first WIFIA project funded in Ohio. Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. WIFIA’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects.

Brown has been a leader in ensuring all Ohioans have access to safe, clean drinking water. During consideration of the 2018 Farm Bill, Brown secured increased funding to reduce farmland runoff into Ohio water and ensured rural communities have access to funding for needed wastewater investments. His Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act, signed into law in January 2019, provides communities with increased flexibility when complying with Clean Water Act requirements for needed updates to sewer systems. 

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