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119-hr-9776119th CongressWALLET

FLOWS Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1]

Introduced

Summary

Would bring digital monitoring, control, and analytics to rural water systems. It would create an EPA grant program to help rural public water systems adopt sensors, supervisory control and data acquisition technology, artificial or embedded intelligence, digital design tools, and other operational technologies to reduce water loss and improve operations.

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  • Rural households could get more reliable drinking water and wastewater service through projects that cover treatment, distribution, reuse, desalination, and aquifer recharge.
  • Very small utilities and tiny communities would get priority, with a focus on entities that serve fewer than 3,300 people and community-owned organizations rather than investor-owned companies.
  • Workers and operators could access funded training and workforce development for managing digital projects, plus on-site cybersecurity training to protect control systems.
  • States, Tribes, and owners or operators of publicly owned systems would be eligible to receive grants or act on behalf of rural areas.
  • Grant funds may be used to buy eligible software as an initial acquisition cost, easing procurement for digital tools.
  • The Comptroller General would conduct a Digital Transformation Study and must report results and program outcomes to Congress by December 31, 2030.

*Would authorize $50 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, totaling $250 million in potential appropriations.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Grants for rural water digital upgrades

If enacted, the EPA would run a grant program that would provide $50 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Funds would remain available until expended. Grants would help design, build, operate, and maintain digital technology for rural drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. Grants could pay for hardware, and for initial acquisition of qualifying software, plus operator training, workforce development, and on-site cybersecurity technical help. The program would give priority to systems serving fewer than 3,300 people and to community-controlled rather than investor-owned entities. Eligible applicants would be owners or operators of publicly owned systems, rural areas themselves, or States and Tribes acting on their behalf. Projects funded would still have to follow all applicable Federal and State law.

Study of digital tech for rural water

If enacted, the Comptroller General would conduct a study on adopting digital infrastructure technology in rural water projects. The study would identify water loss, inadequate fire flow, potential combined‑sewer bottlenecks, and effective models and simulations for rural water management. It would include recommendations on planning, prioritization, interoperability, project timeliness and cost control, sustainability, resiliency, and affordability. The Comptroller General would have up to five years after enactment to complete the study and must submit a report on the study and program results to two congressional committees by December 31, 2030.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1]

AR • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 7/20/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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