Senators Markey, Warren Secure Key Wins for Massachusetts in Water Infrastructure Bill

Water Resources Development Act passes through Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Washington (July 15, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today celebrated the favorable committee vote on the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (S. 4949), which included key priorities from the senators to support water infrastructure projects in Massachusetts, authorize billions of dollars in funding for clean and drinking water infrastructure, and authorize millions in grant funding for water system emergencies. “Improving our water infrastructure will bring down costs for families, prevent future wastewater emergencies, and better equip Massachusetts for the climate crisis,” said Senator Markey . “This legislation delivers cleaner, safer, more reliable water infrastructure from Haverhill to North Adams, and across the nation.” The senators secured several crucial victories for Massachusetts. The legislation: Ensures the Army Corps moves forward with the Hoosic River flood risk feasibility study and uses criteria that better account for the project’s economic, safety, and environmental benefits. This provision is an important step toward securing Army Corps support for future flood risk mitigation work in North Adams. Increases the authorization for the Army Corps to assist with wastewater infrastructure improvements in Haverhill following the wastewater emergency along the Merrimack River. Expedites the City of Boston’s coastal storm risk management project by allowing the project to move forward without having to meet overly burdensome planning requirements; authorizes new feasibility studies to evaluate solutions to prevent flood risk in Chelsea, Everett, the Charles River, the Chase Garden Creek, Attleboro, Woburn, Fitchburg, Hadley, and the Boston Harbor . Authorizes dredging in the Essex and Ipswich Rivers to remove contamination and improve the navigability. Authorizes the Congressionally Directed Spending projects for the Army Corps to assist towns with improving wastewater treatment facilities, desalination plants, and sewage infrastructure in Holyoke, Greenfield, Somerset, and Swansea. The senators also fought for and secured several crucial legislative victories, including: $30 million in authorized funding for the Safe Drinking Water Act emergency grant program, as called for in the Senators’ Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act (S. 4980), which can help provide immediate funding in the event of water system emergencies. More than $30 billion in authorized funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The reauthorization of the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants Program at current levels of $280 million. The reauthorization of the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Grant Program at $100 million a year. Reauthorizations of the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Program, the Innovative Water Workforce Program, and the Emergency Filter Response Programs. The legislation also includes Senator Markey’s Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act (S. 1118), legislation that would provide funding for clean water and wastewater utilities to become members of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC). The WaterISAC is a critical source of information and best practices for water systems to protect against, mitigate, and respond to cyber threats. Senator Markey has long worked to ensure bipartisan water resource and infrastructure legislation includes investments for Massachusetts. In 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, included Senator Markey’s provisions to increase funding for the federal assistance for the Small and Disadvantaged Communities Program to $510 million over five years, supporting the program’s efforts in guaranteeing clean drinking water in frontline communities, and to expand an existing grant program so that more municipalities could access federal funds to help develop systems to notify residents of sewer overflows. In the 2024 WRDA legislation , Senators Markey and Warren secured authorizations for projects in Haverhill, Oak Bluffs, Easthampton, Lowell, and Sandwich. Similarly, in the 2022 WRDA legislation , the senators secured project authorizations for communities including North Attleboro, Chelsea Creek, North Adams, the North Shore, Wellfleet, Truro, Sandwich and Chatham. ###