STORMWATER Act to strengthen water infrastructure for Great Lakes communities
The Stormwater Treatment, Optimization, Resilience and Management with Academic Technological Expertise and Research (STORMWATER) Act was introduced in August 2026 by U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY). The legislation aims to strengthen communities’ ability to manage stormwater, reduce flooding and protect local waterways from pollution.
The existing grant programs were set to expire in September 2026. The legislation would extend them through fiscal year 2031, providing communities with the resources and continuity needed to plan and implement long-term infrastructure improvements.
“Twenty percent of the world’s surface freshwater supply is in the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie,” said Kelly. “We must do everything we can to preserve and protect this national treasure for generations to come. This legislation takes an important step toward doing just that.”
“Every Western New Yorker deserves to know that when the next major storm comes, our communities have the infrastructure and expertise to withstand it,” said Kennedy. “The STORMWATER Act is about making that investment now: strengthening our water infrastructure, protecting our neighborhoods and businesses and putting Great Lakes communities at the forefront of the technologies we need to safeguard the critical waters we all call home.”
