Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Amendments of 2025

This bill reauthorizes and amends the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (WIFIA) to expand eligibility, clarify definitions, and modify program rules for water infrastructure projects.

Sec. 2, Clarifications regarding small communities and rural water projects: The bill adds definitions for "rural water project" and "small community" (population not more than 25,000). It lowers the minimum eligible project cost for small communities from $5,000,000 to $1,000,000. It authorizes the Administrator to provide technical assistance to small communities for project development and requires an outreach plan to small communities within 180 days.

Sec. 3, Clarifying eligibility for certain projects: The bill expands the list of eligible project types to include state-led storage projects, transferred works, and congressionally authorized water resources development projects owned or operated by a non-Federal entity.

Sec. 4, Collaborative project delivery methods: The bill authorizes the use of collaborative project delivery methods (such as construction management at-risk and design-build) for WIFIA projects. It also requires a study within 180 days on the use, barriers, benefits, and training needs for these methods.

Sec. 5, Maturity date: For projects with a useful life over 35 years, the final maturity date of a secured loan is extended to the earlier of 55 years after substantial completion or the project's useful life.

Sec. 6, Reauthorization of Corps of Engineers water infrastructure financing funding: The bill authorizes appropriations of $68,000,000 per year for the EPA Administrator and $15,000,000 per year for the Secretary of the Army for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

Sec. 7, Budgetary treatment of certain amounts of financial assistance: If the recipient is non-Federal and repayment sources are non-Federal, the financial assistance is deemed non-Federal and treated as a direct loan or loan guarantee under the Federal Credit Reform Act.

Sec. 8, Reports to Congress: The EPA Administrator must report within one year on implementation of certain water infrastructure agreements. The Army Secretary must report on the Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program. The GAO report deadline is extended to four years after enactment, and it must include an evaluation of the Secretary's implementation.

Sec. 9, Technical and conforming amendments: The bill makes minor technical changes to headings and references in the underlying law.