House and Senate committees unanimously advanced the 2026 Water Resources Development Act on July 14, authorizing $30.5B for EPA revolving funds and new dredging partnerships.
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The 2026 Water Resources Development Act cleared its first hurdle in both chambers on July 14, with unanimous committee votes in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The bill, known as WRDA, authorizes funding every two years for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects – dredging, port and harbor improvements, inland waterway navigation, flood and stormwater risk management.
Since 2014, WRDA has been one of the few measures lawmakers pass with broad bipartisan support. Industry observers expect floor votes in each chamber before the August recess, though a conference committee would need to reconcile the two versions, likely not before early September, said John Chambers, director of federal/heavy and utility infrastructure divisions at the Associated General Contractors of America.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) said in a statement that the bill “streamlines [agency] processes, provides reforms to improve project delivery and empowers local stakeholders.”
The Senate version includes a significant boost to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency state revolving fund (SRF) programs for drinking water and wastewater projects. It authorizes $16.5 billion for the drinking water SRF and $14 billion for the clean water SRF, both between 2027 and 2030. The Senate bill also authorizes $260 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA).
David LaFrance, CEO of the American Water Works Association, called the funding increases a “positive step” and said his group is encouraged that the committee “recognizes the importance of reauthorizing core water infrastructure financing programs, including the SRFs and WIFIA, at robust levels.”
Adam Krantz, CEO of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, added that “there has not been a time when a strong federal funding commitment has been more important, as clean water utilities and the customers they serve struggle with significant affordability challenges.”
Policy changes in both versions allow more flexibility for alternative project delivery methods and more latitude for non-federal entities to partner on dredging and other water-resource activities. A House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee press release stated that the House bill “will improve non-federal interests’ ability to obtain valuable technical assistance and to fund construction more quickly, as well as to encourage the Corps to increase use of multi-year contracts.”
AGC’s Chambers told ENR that the policy provisions allowing more participation for non-federal entities would reduce costs and enable project participants to be both more nimble and more efficient, reducing burdens on taxpayers.
The Senate version directs the Corps to brief Congress on opportunities to contract with the private sector for design and procurement of dredging vessels for water resource projects – a priority for AGC. “I think this opens up a good conversation with the Corps and Congress and us and our industry stakeholders to make sure that they can use the private sector as much as possible,” Chambers said.
The Senate bill also directs the EPA to study technologies to detect, monitor, capture and potentially remove microplastics and nanoplastics, reporting findings to Congress within 18 months of WRDA 2026 enactment.
The American Society of Civil Engineers praised the House bill’s inclusion of a five-year reauthorization of the High Hazard Potential Dam Rehabilitation Grant Program, calling it one of the group’s top priorities. The program funds repair and rehabilitation of dams that would cause the most damage if impaired or non-operational.
For water utilities like American Water Works (AWK), the reauthorization of SRF programs at higher levels could mean more federal dollars flowing to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects over the next four years. The company, which serves about 14 million people across 14 states, has been a frequent beneficiary of SRF loans and grants for system upgrades.
Chambers said the next concrete marker is floor votes before the August recess. “If they can get it through both chambers by then, the conference committee has a clear path to a final bill by September or October,” he said.
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