How ENR Calculated the $780 Billion Forecast

ENR analyzed EPA's 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey, which reported $630.1 billion in documented infrastructure needs. Using historical growth across the 2012-2022 survey cycles-an average 5.5% annual increase-ENR projected needs through 2026, producing a total of roughly $780 billion in 2022 dollars. The analysis incorporated loan and disbursement trends from EPA's 2024 Clean Water State Revolving Fund Annual Report and cross-checked with GAO 24-106251 findings. Inflation adjustments were held constant to maintain comparability with EPA's real-dollar estimates. Sources: EPA CWNS 2022, EPA CWSRF 2024, GAO 24-106251, Brookings 2024.