EPA and States Kick Off 2020 Drinking Water Needs Survey

Earlier this week EPA held a meeting in San Francisco with state survey coordinators to kick off the 2020 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA). The 2020 survey will be the seventh national assessment of public water system infrastructure needs and will estimate the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) – eligible infrastructure projects from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2039, necessary for water systems to continue to provide safe drinking water to the public. The previous DWINSA, conducted in 2015, estimated a national need of $472.6 billion. The assessment is reported to Congress and is the basis for allotting DWSRF grant funds to states.

This round of the DWINSA will also include an estimate of the number of lead service lines as well as the cost of replacing those service lines, both publicly and privately owned. This new feature of the survey is required by Section 2015 of America’s Water Infrastructure Act (Public Law No: 115-270).

EPA will be conducting training in several of the Regions this Fall and is also offering individual state training by request.