Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congresswomen Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced a $16 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund Capitalization Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to improve water infrastructure and protect clean drinking water supplies. This grant is an increase of nearly $3 million from the previous year and will be used to protect water quality by financing NHDES’s construction of wastewater treatment facilities, Non-Point Source, and estuary projects throughout New Hampshire. NHDES was also awarded an additional $162,000 to fund New Hampshire’s Water Quality Management Planning program to improve contaminated water and water supplies across the state.

“Granite State families deserve safe and clean drinking water, and this grant will provide significant resources to help communities across our state protect water quality,” said Shaheen. “I am pleased to announce this increased funding to improve our state’s water infrastructure, and I will continue to work across the aisle to advocate for federal resources to bolster New Hampshire’s clean water initiatives that safeguard public health.”

“Clean water is critical for our citizens to lead healthy lives, and it is at the heart of our state’s economic development, healthy families, and vibrant communities,” said Hassan. “I am pleased to announce these federal grants, which will go toward our efforts to ensure that all Granite Staters have access to safe drinking water by investing in our clean water infrastructure and improving water quality. Though there is still more work to be done to protect our water from harmful contaminants, such as PFAS, these federal grants are a step in the right direction.”

“Every American has a right to clean air and water,” said Shea-Porter. “No one should have to worry that their water is contaminated or their children are being harmed by contaminated water. I will continue to fight dangerous proposals to weaken clean water regulations or to cut funding for clean water initiatives. Clean drinking water is essential for public health, and this federal grant demonstrates how federal, state, and local governments can work together to improve wastewater treatment, protect our environment, and improve drinking water quality.”

“This grant will help support efforts to ensure that municipal wastewater systems are functioning efficiently and protecting the health of our communities,” said Kuster. “I strongly oppose efforts to cut resources that are helping local communities safeguard access to quality water resources. We should continue to invest in the infrastructure of our towns and cities so that Granite Staters can raise their families without fear of contamination in their waterways or drinking water.”

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