Not a moment too soon

The first major infusion of federal cash from the bipartisan infrastructure law is on its way to states to overhaul the country's aging water infrastructure and dangerous lead pipes.

The Biden administration announced Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency will distribute $7.4 billion to states, tribes and territories for 2022 focused on water infrastructure grants and loan forgiveness. The funding is part of a broader $50 billion investment in water infrastructure from the infrastructure law, which will be doled out over five years.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in an interview that it is the "single largest investment in water infrastructure" in the history of the federal government.

  NBC

This is good news. The only problem will be where it goes to states with Republican administrators who don't spend it on its intended purpose. You know there'll be some of that.

The Biden administration has only limited say in how the money gets spent. Some of the funding will flow through federal grants, which the administration can issue to specific projects. But the majority of the dollars will be distributed to states, which will ultimately decide what projects they want to fund.

That has created a challenge for the administration to ensure that the money is spent in a way that meets its goals, such as focusing funds on underserved and disadvantaged communities, rather than on other priorities that states may have.

In a letter being sent to governors Thursday and obtained by NBC News, Regan said the federal government and the states "share the same goals" and implored them to focus their share of funds on low-income, disadvantaged and minority communities.

Don't hold your breath.

The money includes $2.9 billion specifically earmarked to replace lead pipes — President Joe Biden has promised that every remaining lead pipe in the country will be eliminated under the deal. Another $866 million will be designated to deal with "forever chemicals" and other water contaminants that threaten the drinking water supply, the EPA said.

Can we expect Flint, Michigan, to finally get cleaned up? Again, don't hold your breath.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.