U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at helping rural water utilities upgrade aging infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity protections.
The Futureproofing Local Operations for Water Systems (FLOWS) Act of 2026 would establish a competitive Environmental Protection Agency grant program authorizing $50 million annually for rural water, wastewater and stormwater systems. The funding would target communities serving fewer than 3,300 people to help them deploy modern digital tools for leak detection, pressure management, water quality monitoring and cybersecurity training.
Rural water systems face mounting challenges including aging infrastructure, limited staffing and rising operational costs. Many lack access to advanced technologies that larger utilities use to prevent service disruptions and detect problems before they become emergencies.
“Local water providers in The Natural State and across the country work hard every day to deliver reliable water services despite growing infrastructure demands and tight budgets,” Boozman said. “The FLOWS Act can offer targeted support to help modernize drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems with advanced technologies that improve efficiency, reliability and their capacity to safeguard against cyber vulnerabilities long-term.”
Kelly emphasized the importance of protecting families from the costs of system failures. “Right now, rural communities are dealing with aging systems, tight budgets, and growing cyber threats,” he said. “We’re helping local water providers upgrade their equipment, catch problems before they become costly emergencies, and protect their systems from attacks so families aren’t left footing the bill for breakdowns and disruptions.”
The grants may be used for real-time sensing equipment, industrial control systems, artificial intelligence tools, advanced modeling software, workforce training and ongoing cybersecurity assistance.
Chris Harris, CEO of the Arkansas Rural Water Association, said the legislation would “strengthen and streamline day-to-day operations for small and rural water and wastewater systems statewide.”
The measure has garnered support from the National Rural Water Association, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, American Society of Civil Engineers, Arkansas Rural Water Association and several technology companies.
The full text of the legislation is available at Senator Boozman’s website.