(June 10, 2020) – NACWA published a white paper this week, Funding and Financing Strategies to Address Coronavirus Impact, that outlines various funding and financing options the federal government could pursue to help municipal clean water utilities recover from the current economic challenges facing the sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

The document, which has been reviewed by the Association’s Finance Workgroup, comes as many clean water utilities around the nation are facing unprecedented lost revenue due to the widespread economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The white paper outlines direct federal funding action Congress can take in the short-term, as well as some innovative financing solutions that could provide important financial relief in the medium to long-term.   

On the direct federal funding front, the paper notes that while some utilities were on a sound economic footing prior to the pandemic, the impacts of the widespread economic disruption associated with the outbreak are creating serious revenue challenges for many clean water agencies. The white paper also includes several innovative financing strategies that do not require a direct outlay of federal funds that Congress could pursue to assist utilities in recovering from the pandemic’s economic impacts. 

Read NACWA’s Advocacy Alert for more details.