Environmental Infrastructure, Resource Protection and Development Program

Section 219 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992

In 1992, Congress authorized the use of federal funds to “provide assistance to non-federal interests for carrying out water-related environmental infrastructure, resource protection and development projects described in subsection (c), including wastewater treatment, related facilities and water supply, storage, treatment and distribution facilities.”

This program has been instrumental in assisting public entities, such as cities, communities, public utilities and local governments in providing much needed water infrastructure for the residents of their communities. While the law provides for an “authorized” amount of dollars that can be spent on a project, funding is only provided to the authorized project through annual appropriation bills. 

This is a cost-share program; this is not a grant program. The local sponsor will share 25 percent or more of the total project cost, while the federal government will provide 75 percent of the total project cost. Amounts of cost share will be determined on each increment of work funded.

Example projects that have been funded under the 219 Program, include wastewater transmission line installation, recycled water system installation, well design and construction and reservoir replacement.