Support climate resilient infrastructure.

Climate Threat(s):

Overarching Goal(s):

M

Performance Goal(s): |

LTPG 1



LTPG 2





Activity Timeframe: |

FY22

FY23

FY24

FY25

FY26

Climate Vulnerability

Infrastructure design, operation, financing principles, and regulatory standards typically do not account
for a changing climate, and current risk management does not consider the impact of compound
extremes (co-occurrence of events) and the risk of cascading infrastructure failure.

Action

Description: Build climate resilience into water, wastewater and stormwater
infrastructure throughout EPA Region III by:

•	Providing technical assistance and training to water and
wastewater systems focused on capacity development, system
optimization, climate resilience and operator certification.

•	Providing climate tools to states, local governments and water
and wastewater systems to help mainstream adaptation and
mitigation and encourage investments in resilient infrastructure.

•	Collaborating with state SRF programs to promote and encourage
targeted outreach efforts toward financially distressed and
disadvantaged communities and those that may be
disproportionately impacted by climate change.

•	Encouraging states to prioritize funding and technical assistance
to disadvantaged communities that may be disproportionately
impacted by climate change.

Metric(s): • Number of water and wastewater systems receiving technical

assistance and training, including capacity development, system
optimization, climate resilience and operator certification

•	Number of times we share climate tools to states, local governments
and water and wastewater systems to help mainstream adaptation
and mitigation and encourage investments in resilient infrastructure

•	Number of collaboration opportunities with states

•	Number of loans/dollar amounts in projects for disadvantaged
communities related to climate adaptation (starting in FY23)

Project Challenges:

Limited opportunities for hands-on efforts; ability to influence state
priorities; acceptance by systems or willingness to change

Co-benefits: Enhances resilience to allow better preparedness, quicker recovery and
addresses hazard mitigation by breaking the cycle of disaster damage,
reconstruction, and repeated damage; protects public health when water
facilities continue to operate.

Owner Email: Wisniewski.Patti-

Kay(S>epa.aov

New Work? Yes

Resources Available? Yes

Science Needs

Science needs are not required to implement this project; however, it is likely that science needs could be
identified when collaborating with utilities or the states.

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Additional Narrative:

Climate Vulnerability

Deteriorating water infrastructure compounds the climate risk faced by society. Infrastructure
design, operation, financing principles, and regulatory standards typically do not account for a
changing climate, and current risk management does not consider the impact of compound
extremes (co-occurrence of events) and the risk of cascading infrastructure failure. Failure to build
resilience into water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure could impact public health by
the inability to provide clean water and safe drinking water services.

Description

Build climate resilience into water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure throughout EPA
Region III by:

•	Providing technical assistance and training to water and wastewater systems focused on
capacity development, system optimization, climate resilience and operator certification.

•	Providing climate tools to states, local governments and water and wastewater systems
to help mainstream adaptation and mitigation and encourage investments in resilient
infrastructure.

•	Collaborating with state SRF programs to promote and encourage targeted outreach
efforts toward financially distressed and disadvantaged communities and those
disproportionately impacted by climate change, leading to more climate resilient projects.

•	Encouraging states to prioritize funding and technical assistance to disadvantaged
communities disproportionately impacted by climate change.

•	Encouraging states to incorporate climate resilience criteria into their SRF priority ranking
systems (Note: Most of our states already do this).

•	Collaborating with states to focus historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) SRF funding
towards fostering water and wastewater system resilience to all hazards, including new
and emerging threats like cybersecurity.

•	Working with the states to utilize BIL funding to help water and wastewater agencies
reach GHG reduction targets, incorporate renewable energy generation, invest in carbon
sinks, and other projects that reduce the GHG footprint of the water industry.

•	Ensuring states are fully implementing the Flood plain Management Executive Order as it
applies to SRF projects.

•	Advising the states following disasters on the Emergency Use options under SRF and the
EPA/FEMA Disaster memo.

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