WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Rep. Stevens Champions Bipartisan Bill to Improve Wastewater Treatment and Protect Clean Water

Washington, D.C. – In case you missed it, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens introduced the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, legislation to help communities upgrade wastewater systems, address emerging contaminants like PFAS, and keep water bills affordable.

Here’s what Michiganders are seeing and reading about Rep. Haley Stevens’ work to strengthen wastewater infrastructure and support clean and affordable water access:

Michigan Advance: Stevens and bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force chair aim to help upgrade wastewater treatment

By: Kyle Davidson

• 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.
• “Clean water is essential for our health, our economy, and the future of the Great Lakes,” Stevens said in a statement. “Michigan knows all too well the impact of contaminants like PFAS on our communities. This legislation will help utilities deploy next-generation wastewater treatment technologies, modernize infrastructure, and keep water safe and affordable.
• If passed, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act would authorize $1 billion in funds over five years for advanced wastewater treatment projects, covering up to 50% of the cost for projects across the nation. It would also direct at least 49% of that funding to communities without the resources to replace the infrastructure on their own and waive their cost-share requirements. Administrative costs would be capped at 1% for the EPA and states who participate in the grant program.

FOX17: Lawmakers propose $1B water infrastructure bill, could it help with PFAS in Cascade Township?

By: Cassandra Alonso

• 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."
• "We can't go it alone, and we need federal partnerships," she added.
• Stevens said the bill is designed with equity in mind."We want to make sure that disadvantaged places can get a leg up, that they don't just have to pay for the mistakes of others," she said.
• For neighbors concerned about rising water bills, Stevens said covering a significant share of project costs could provide relief.
• "If it's to tackle the grocery bill and lower the cost of food, if it's efforts that I've just introduced to lower energy bills, and in this instance, freeing up some of those fixed costs could absolutely lead to something along those lines," Stevens said. "I want to save Michigan taxpayers money, and I want to utilize the federal government to meet a need right here in our state."
• Stevens said she hopes Cascade Township takes advantage of the funding if the bill passes."We'd love to see Cascade Township apply for these dollars, and this is a bill that saves the taxpayers," she said.

MLive: $1B in wastewater grants to treat PFAS proposed in Congress

By: Garret Ellison

• 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 legislation also would require about half the funding go to disadvantaged communities or certain rural, small, tribal or regional public systems that benefit them.

Smart Water Magazine: Advanced wastewater treatment technologies at heart of proposed U.S. water funding bill

By: Cristina Novo

• 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.
• A notable equity provision directs at least 49% of funding toward financially disadvantaged communities, waiving cost-share requirements for those recipients. Administrative costs would be capped at 1% for both the EPA and participating states.
• The bill also mandates a comprehensive independent study on the effectiveness of advanced treatment technologies in removing emerging contaminants. Notably, the legislation directs the EPA to engage the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology — to carry out the research, lending it significant scientific authority. The scope extends beyond PFAS to include nanomaterials, reflecting growing concern about a broader class of poorly understood pollutants.

Innovation News Network: Bipartisan bill targets PFAS and infrastructure gaps in US wastewater treatment

By: Jack Thomas

• 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.
• The proposal reflects increasing federal attention to water quality and infrastructure resilience. PFAS contamination, in particular, has emerged as a priority issue for regulators and policymakers due to its widespread presence and resistance to conventional treatment processes.

Wastewater Digest: Bipartisan bill targets funding for advanced wastewater treatment and PFAS removal

• 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,”
• “Michigan knows all too well the impact of contaminants like PFAS on our communities. This legislation will help utilities deploy next-generation wastewater treatment technologies, modernize infrastructure, and keep water safe and affordable.”

WOOD: Stevens introduces bipartisan bill to fund wastewater projects, address PFAS contamination

By: Matt Jaworowski

• 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.
• “Michigan knows all too well the impact of contaminants like PFAS on our communities. This legislation will help utilities deploy next-generation wastewater treatment technologies, modernize infrastructure, and keep water safe and affordable,” Stevens said in a statement.
• The Environmental Working Group says there are now more than 9,500 confirmed PFAS-contaminated sites across the United States, including at least one in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and two American territories. MPART is tracking 379 confirmed contamination sites or areas of interest in Michigan.

WDET

• 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.
• If passed, the legislation creates a $1 billion budget for a five-year federal grant program to help water utilities treat water for contaminants. That would cover 50% of the project costs. It would also allocate 49% of funding to communities without financial assistance, with 1% of EPA and admin costs.

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