Public Utility Remediation and Enhancement for Water Act

H.R. 4961 would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to create a new EPA grant program (Sec. 228) focused on emerging contaminants, especially PFAS. The program would provide grants to owners or operators of publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) to plan, design, and construct upgrades to prevent, limit, or treat discharges of emerging contaminants, or to help them meet pretreatment standards or effluent limits related to those contaminants. The federal share would be at least 75% of project costs, with the remaining funds coming from non-federal sources (including public/private funds, in-kind services, and potentially loans from state revolving funds). Projects funded under this program would follow most existing State revolving fund requirements, with some flexibility at the Administrator’s discretion. The bill authorizes $200 million per year for 2026–2028 to support these efforts and requires the program to be established within 180 days of enactment.