Federal and State Funding: Virtual Roundtable
Times listed in Mountain time zone.
Fee per person: $75-member, $120-nonmember
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Subscriber Notice: Virtual roundtable webinars are hosted by AWWA’s Legal and Finance Community experts and are considered special programming. These webinars are not included in the annual subscription. Standard registration fees apply.
Objectives
- Understanding of the current federal funding landscape of water financing in the FY2026 federal budget, ongoing congressional funding actions impacting the water sector, cutbacks in EPA and related department/agency funding for water projects, and some key trends in state financing of water related activities.
- Learning more about how water utilities are combining WIFIA and SRF loans together as part of their financing plan and how this has bolstered their overall financial strategies, asset management, and capital plans.
- Exploring how the current bond market environment is impacting water utilities, and how market rate debt can substitute for federal or state loans.
- Acquiring ideas on how water utilities have leveraged market rate debt and other private financing options to develop their operational and infrastructure financing strategies, and the decision-making process/tools they used to develop them.
Expert Panel
Moderator (and Discussant): John Mastracchio, Executive Vice President, Raftelis
Edward (Ed) Barca, Director of Finance, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority
Melissa LaBuda, Director, PFM Financial Advisors, LLC
Linda Sumansky, Director - VenturaWaterPure, City of Ventura (CA)
Description
Stay informed on the latest federal and state funding developments impacting water utilities. This virtual roundtable will address key funding issues shaping the water sector, including:
- Federal budget funding and its impact on water infrastructure and operational resources
- Updates on WIFIA program activities
- State Revolving Funds (SRFs) and related state-level funding opportunities
- Strategies for combining federal and state funding with private financing tools to support infrastructure and capital improvements
This interactive dialogue with leaders from the water utility, financial, and consulting sectors will take a deep dive into key aspects of federal and state funding of water infrastructure and operations as 2026 gets underway. Discussion topics will include an update on water-related funding in the FY2026 federal budget, evolving budgeting and water funding-related activities at EPA and other agencies, congressional actions impacting water-related funding, and an overview of water funding vehicles in various states.
Building off of the federal and state funding conversation, panelists will discuss the current bond market environment, including how market-rate debt can substitute for federal or state loans and how these play into a utility’s funding strategies. Examples of how water utilities are successfully combining WIFIA and SRF loans to support their infrastructure and operational financial needs will also be shared.
Discussion will include key points on the various advantages and disadvantages water utilities are encountering in combining various federal, state, and private financing tools to meet their ever-growing infrastructure and operational financing needs. Panelists will share key decision-making points and tools they have found useful to successfully navigate these opportunities and challenges.
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