Funding response follows recent series of catastrophic water main breaks that left hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses without water services

 
The City of Atlanta will receive $993,500 in new federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; the award will help fund a federal review of Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure, leading to recommendations for long-term upgrades

The Senator was joined in this bicameral effort by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Atlanta-area Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA-05)

The lawmakers requested the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“the Corps”) work with local leaders to address the chronic water infrastructure problems, provide all necessary funding to complete a comprehensive review

Senators Reverend Warnock and Ossoff, along with Congresswoman Williams, fought to increase the funding authorization for the City of Atlanta’s Environmental Infrastructure authority by $50 million in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022

Lawmakers to the Corps: “We request that the Corps provide the necessary funding to help the City of Atlanta complete a comprehensive review of its drinking water infrastructure as a first step towards developing solutions to improve drinking water service and infrastructure reliability”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), alongside U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), announced $993,500 in federal funding for a review of Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure following a recent series of catastrophic water main breaks that left hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses without water services. The funding was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, championed by the lawmakers for its investments in Georgia.

The funding comes just days after Senator Warnock was joined in a bicameral push to secure the funding by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA-05). Earlier this week, lawmakers requested the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“the Corps”) work with local leaders to address the chronic water infrastructure problems and provide all necessary funding to help complete a comprehensive review—a necessary step towards implementing lasting, structural change to existing infrastructure. 

“No Georgian should have difficulty accessing clean water. While I’m proud of the important steps we’ve taken through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and more to strengthen our water infrastructure, the recent water crisis in Atlanta highlights how much more work we have left to do on that front,” said Senator Warnock. “That’s why I was proud to work with Senator Ossoff, Congresswoman Williams, and the Corps to direct this federal investment toward reviewing Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure and providing recommendations for long-term upgrades, and I will continue to do all I can at the federal level to help bolster local water infrastructure in communities across Georgia.”

“Working together, Senator Reverend Warnock, Congresswoman Williams, and I are delivering this Federal funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law to help address the long-term needs of Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure. I thank the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for being so responsive to Georgia’s needs,” said Senator Ossoff.

“Our swift federal response to Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure is exactly why Senators Ossoff, Warnock, and I fought for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. I am grateful for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ prompt action and will continue to fight for more investments to ensure the safety and resiliency of our drinking water systems,” said Congresswoman Williams. 

In the letter to the Corps, the lawmakers highlighted investments and authorizations secured in federal legislation including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA) to assist states like Georgia with water infrastructure improvement projects and invest in clean drinking water for communities. The Senators successfully fought to increase authorized funding for the City of Atlanta’s Environmental Infrastructure authority by $50 million in the WRDA legislation, and under this authority, the Corps can construct water infrastructure improvements for the City of Atlanta, including the replacement of aging and failing water mains like those at the heart of this latest crisis. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides more than $50 billion for drinking water and clean water projects across the country, and Georgia has already received over $570 million.

###