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Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania have introduced the Bipartisan Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act in Congress.

It helps communities upgrade wastewater systems to address PFAS and other contaminants. Stevens says clean water is essential for our health and for the future of the Great Lakes. An EPA study says as of 2022, Michigan needed an estimated $181 million for improvements.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, has introduced a new bill aimed at upgrading wastewater systems and addressing PFAS contamination.

The bill, known as the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, was introduced Monday with bipartisan support. U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, was the other lead legislator.

Stevens called clean water “essential” for the health of all Americans and the American economy.

U.S. Reps. Haley Stevens and Brian Fitzpatrick have introduced the bipartisan Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, aimed at helping utilities upgrade infrastructure, address emerging contaminants such as PFAS and maintain affordability for ratepayers.

“Clean water is essential for our health, our economy, and the future of the Great Lakes,”

The growing need to address PFAS contamination has placed a significant financial strain on utilities. Advanced treatment methods capable of removing these compounds, such as granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis, require substantial capital investment and operational costs. In states like Michigan, the financial burden is already evident. Federal estimates indicate that required wastewater infrastructure improvements reached approximately $181m in 2022, underscoring the scale of the challenge.

Stevens, a Michigan Democrat, rolled out the proposal last week with U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. The Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act of 2026 would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create a grant program for states to support eligible wastewater treatment upgrades.

According to the bill, eligible projects would generally have to cover at least half of their costs with non-federal money. That requirement would not apply to projects serving disadvantaged communities.

The bill called the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, was introduced March 19 by Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, who co-chair the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force.

Stevens said Michigan cannot address the crisis without federal support."We know in Michigan our pride is our water and our stewardship of the freshwater assets in the Great Lakes," Stevens said. "We also need to do cleanup."

A new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to modernise wastewater treatment systems nationwide by establishing a five-year federal grant programme worth $1 billion. The Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act of 2026, sponsored by Representatives Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), would cover up to 50% of project costs for eligible water utilities deploying technologies such as granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis — methods proven to eliminate persistent pollutants including PFAS compounds.

Stevens’ and Fitzpatrick’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act would create a five-year federal grant program to help water utilities install the advanced water treatment technologies needed to remove difficult pollutants, while also protecting against harmful algal blooms.