What to Expect Following Passage of Infrastructure Bill (Source: Pumps & Systems)

By Drew Champlin

On Nov. 15, President Joe Biden signed a bill that allocated $1.2 trillion for infrastructure, including $55 billion for water pipe upgrades, investments in clean drinking water, and water recycling programs as well as $65 billion to strengthen the electrical grid.

Steve Gilbreath, vice president and business group director of civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, answered some questions from Pumps & Systems on how the bill will affect the pump industry.

How will the passage of this bill impact infrastructure related to the pumps industry, particularly water/wastewater?

The money being injected should increase pump demand. While it doesn’t mean manufacturers will be able to deliver them fast enough, the demand will certainly be higher. Consequently, pump prices may go higher until the supply chain issues subside and demand normalizes.

Was there anything not included in this bill that you would want to see addressed in the future?

We need more details to answer this question. We know how much money is going to be spent and how it is going to be spent, but we don’t know the timing. Because this bill is different from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds [which allocates money directly to cities and counties], more details need to be ironed out.