Kelly Backs Bipartisan STORMWATER Act to Strengthen Water Infrastructure and Protect Great Lakes Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This week, U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) co-sponsored the bipartisan Stormwater Treatment, Optimization, Resilience, and Management with Academic Technological Expertise and Research (STORMWATER) Act, legislation which aims to strengthen communities’ ability to manage stormwater, reduce flooding, and protect local waterways from pollution.

Kelly is a member of the House Great Lakes Task Force. This legislation is endorsed by the Great Lakes Commission.

The legislation, introduced by Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY) in August, would reauthorize federal grant programs that support stormwater innovation, technical assistance, and flood mitigation.

"20 percent of the world's surface freshwater supply is in the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie. 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," said Rep. Kelly.

“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 Congressman 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.”

"The Great Lakes Commission commends Rep. Kennedy for introducing the STORMWATER Act, which will ensure the Stormwater Centers of Excellence program continues nationwide while recognizing the Great Lakes as a unique resource increasingly threatened by stormwater impacts,” said Tim Bruno, Chair of the Great Lakes Commission. “Communities across the Great Lakes region are confronting more frequent flooding that threatens public health and water quality, carrying nutrients, debris, chemicals and other pollutants into our waterways. This bill will provide crucial resources to help communities prepare for and address these growing challenges."

Specifically, the STORMWATER Act would:

 

• Establish a fifth Center of Excellence focused on the Great Lakes region, ensuring the region’s unique stormwater and water-quality challenges receive dedicated expertise;
• Reauthorize $5 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to support and maintain five Centers of Excellence;
• Reauthorize $10 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for competitive Stormwater Control Infrastructure Project grants to support communities’ stormwater infrastructure needs.
  
  
   

BACKGROUND

Stormwater runoff occurs when rain or melted snow cannot absorb into the ground and instead flows over hard surfaces like roads, rooftops, and parking lots. As that water moves rapidly into drainage systems and waterways, it can overwhelm infrastructure, contribute to flooding, and carry oil, debris, fertilizers, chemicals, and other pollutants into local streams and lakes.

For Pennsylvania communities surrounded by the Great Lakes, these challenges are both environmental and economic. Stronger stormwater infrastructure can help protect homes and businesses from flooding, reduce pollution entering local waterways, and preserve the health and economic vitality of the Great Lakes for generations to come.

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.

You can find bill text here.