Bill > S563

This bill appropriates funds to improve the Commonwealth's water infrastructure for the current fiscal year. * **Massachusetts Clean Water Trust:** $138,000,000 from the General Fund to provide contract assistance for debt service obligations on loans, prioritizing municipalities and water utilities facing affordability barriers to infrastructure improvements. Funds not used for debt service will be redirected for principal forgiveness or to support previously unfunded projects. * **Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Expansion:** $2,000,000,000 from the General Fund for the authority to expand its capacity to serve new cities and towns, with a focus on increasing housing capacity and improving drinking water quality contaminated by PFAS. The authority must report annually on fund allocation, outreach efforts, expansion timelines, and barriers. * **HousingWorks Infrastructure Program:** $375,000,000 from the General Fund to provide grants to cities and towns for sewer, septic, and water infrastructure upgrades that support housing development, preservation, or rehabilitation. Specific allocations are designated for municipalities compliant with multi-family zoning requirements and those that have invested significantly in community housing. * **Water Infrastructure Improvement Grants:** $200,000,000 from the General Fund for grants administered by the Department of Environmental Protection to replace and upgrade existing water infrastructure, prioritizing projects identified in the 2012 Water Infrastructure Finance Committee report. * **Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief Fund:** $78,500,000 from the General Fund to support this fund. * **1:1 Matching Program:** $10,000,000 from the General Fund for communities seeking admission to or additional water supply from regional water authorities due to water quality issues, stressed water basins, or economic development constraints. * **Regional Water Entity Reimbursement Fund:** $13,800,000 from the General Fund for this fund, with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority prioritizing the rehabilitation of collection systems. * **Wastewater Infrastructure Adaptation Planning Grants:** $10,000,000 from the General Fund for grants to Publicly Owned Treatment Works and municipal and district sewer collection systems for adaptation planning to protect wastewater infrastructure from storm and flood damage. * **Biosolids Research:** $200,000 from the General Fund for the Biohub project's research on biosolids, PFAS binding, safe applications, and landfill avoidance. The bill also establishes an Interbasin Transfer Review Commission to analyze and recommend updates to laws governing water transfers, with a report due by December 31, 2025. It also amends existing laws to establish a water infrastructure advisory committee and a water infrastructure efficiency task force to monitor and evaluate funding gaps, new funding sources, and regulatory hurdles related to water infrastructure. Additionally, a grant program will be established by the board of higher education to support workforce training for the water infrastructure sector.