Congress More Than Doubles Federal Water Infrastructure Funding for Puerto Rico to $75 Million

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA), more than doubling the federal authorization for drinking water and wastewater projects in Puerto Rico — from $35 million to $75 million — and opening the door to coastal protection studies and flood control work in at least eight municipalities ¹.

The measure, formally known as H.R. 9497, incorporates 11 proposals championed by Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández and was approved with bipartisan support on July 14 ². It marks the first time a single WRDA bill has included this many Puerto Rico-specific provisions. The projects will be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the federal agency responsible for water infrastructure, flood control and coastal protection nationwide.

Puerto Rico has been dragging decades of water infrastructure crisis. The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) loses more than half the drinking water it produces to leaks in aging pipes, and hundreds of rural communities rely on community-run water systems with no direct federal backing ³. The dredging of Carraízo Reservoir — delayed 27 years — was completed only this year, but storage capacity remains far from optimal.

What the bill includes

WRDA 2026 authorizes USACE to build and study the following projects in Puerto Rico ¹²:

• Corozal: $10 million for water and sewer system improvements, including community aqueducts serving areas with limited access to service.
• Humacao: Improvements to the Antón Ruiz River and its levees to reduce flooding in Río Verde Mar, Punta Santiago and nearby communities.
• Vega Baja: Study of Laguna Quintín Valle for dredging and flood mitigation.
• Loíza: Study of strategies to combat coastal erosion and storm surge protection.
• Ceiba, Yabucoa, Naguabo and Fajardo: Coastal protection assessments against storms and flooding.
• Río Puerto Nuevo: New impact studies on neighboring communities.

The bill also adds Puerto Rico to the federal Shoreline and Riverine Protection Program, making the island eligible for future federal funding to reduce damage from hurricanes, coastal storms and flooding ².

Overall, WRDA 2026 authorizes 133 new feasibility studies nationwide — at least one in a Puerto Rican municipality — and 14 construction projects ³.

"We are using every tool available in Congress to address the water challenges facing our communities," Resident Commissioner Hernández said ².

What it means for you

If you live in a coastal municipality or in a flood-prone area, this law could bring studies and protective infrastructure that have been on hold for years. For Corozal residents who depend on community aqueducts, the designated $10 million means the possibility of more reliable drinking water and improved wastewater treatment.

An important caveat: the bill authorizes spending but does not appropriate it. Each project requires a USACE feasibility study before construction can begin, which can take 12 to 36 months. Still, the federal authorization is the mandatory first step — without it, there is no federal money.

How to act / Checklist

1. Check if your municipality is included. Named project municipalities are Corozal, Humacao, Vega Baja, Loíza, Ceiba, Yabucoa, Naguabo and Fajardo, plus communities bordering Río Puerto Nuevo.
2. Contact your mayor. Municipal governments coordinate directly with USACE to define the scope and priorities of the studies.
3. Sign up for public hearings. When USACE launches feasibility studies, it will open public comment periods. Monitor the USACE Caribbean District at www.saa.usace.army.mil.
4. If you depend on a community aqueduct in Corozal, contact the Resident Commissioner's office (hernandez.house.gov) to ask about the timeline for the $10 million allocation.
5. Track H.R. 9497 on congress.gov. The bill cleared committee but still needs a full House floor vote and Senate passage before becoming law.

What comes next

WRDA 2026 now moves to the full House of Representatives for a floor vote. If approved, it will head to the Senate, where WRDA bills have historically enjoyed bipartisan support. Should it become law, USACE would begin feasibility studies in the designated municipalities during fiscal year 2027.

At the local level, Representative Tatiana Pérez Ramírez has already secured the governor's signature on Joint Resolution 26-2026, which orders AAA, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and the Electric Power Authority to pursue federal funds for continuous reservoir dredging and submit a compliance plan within 180 days ⁴. Combined with WRDA, Puerto Rico would have its first coordinated federal-local strategy to tackle its water crisis in decades.

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Sources:

¹ El Nuevo Día, "Comité del Congreso aumentó en $40 millones la autorización para proyectos de agua en Puerto Rico," July 15, 2026.

² W Journal PR, "$75M proposed for Puerto Rico water projects," July 16, 2026.

³ San Juan Daily Star, "US House committee approves Water Resources Development Act," July 16, 2026.

⁴ NotiCel, "PRFAA anuncia aprobación de la Ley Federal de Recursos del Agua 2026," July 14, 2026.