Will Congress help protect our beaches?

On Wednesday, July 24th, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill that would maintain the current annual funding level of roughly $1.64 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) – the main federal program that helps communities pay for projects that reduce sewage overflows and runoff pollution. That figure represents about half of the $3.25 billion that Congress is authorized to spend on the program next year.

However, it is by no means certain that Congress will even provide this level of funding to address key sources of fecal bacteria pollution that can make swimmers sick. House appropriators voted to slash funding for the Clean Water SRF by 26 percent last week.

The new Safe for Swimming? report by Environment America Research & Policy Center underscores why such funding is urgently needed: more than 60% of coastal and Great Lakes beaches tested had nasty bacteria levels indicating health risks for swimmers on one or more days in 2024. More than 450 of those beaches had potentially unsafe waters on at least one-quarter of the days they were tested last year.  

It will take significant resources to stop the flow of nasty bacteria to our beaches. Based on its most recent survey of the states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that communities will need at least $630 billion to manage sewage, septic and stormwater pollution over the next 20 years.

So before Congress returns from August recess, let’s remind them that Americans want all of our waters to be safe for swimming – and that as taxpayers, we’re willing to pay for it.