LSL Policy Lowdown: June 29–July 5, 2026
🔎Legislative Scanner
Check out EPIC's legislative scannerto keep track of all the state LSL bills worth keeping an eye on.
Federal updates
EPA waives WIFIA fees for small communities
EPA announced it will waive Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) application and processing fees for communities with populations under 25,000 during fiscal years 2026 and 2027. This move could save eligible communities up to $200,000, while removing a significant barrier to access financing.
EPIC’s take: 👍Love to see it! High upfront costs are a major barrier for small and under-resourced communities to access funding and financing —not just for WIFIA , but across other funding programs like SRFs. While this is a temporary solution, it shows how targeted administrative reforms make funding more accessible. We hope EPA builds on this approach and considers similar flexibilities for other funding programs to help ensure small systems have a fairer shot when competing for the resources they need.
State updates
Virginia's LSL access law is now in effect
As of Jul 1, Virginia water utilities are authorized to access private property to inspect service line materials as part of LSL inventory efforts.
EPIC’s take: 👍A great step forward—but there’s still more to do. Virginia is removing a key barrier to completing inventories and identifying where LSLs are present. The next challenge will be extending similar authority to replacement activities, which are not addressed in the current law. We hope Virginia continues to build on this momentum.
Nebraska opens calls for Hydrovac grant program
The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment is accepting grant applications to help small cities and villages purchase Hydrovac equipment for LSL inventories. The program covers up to 50% of equipment costs, and applications are open through September 30.
EPIC’s take: 👍More regional collaboration, please! Something exciting about this program is that it promotes regional collaboration and equipment sharing. These types of regional partnerships can help small systems achieve economies of scale, stretch limited resources further, and build the capacity needed to complete inventories more efficiently.
Local updates
💡Spotlight
San Antonio repurposes military tech to identify LSLs. The city of San Antonio is deploying electromagnetic-induction sensors—originally developed to detect unexploded ordinances—to create 3D maps of buried pipes and identify service line materials.
EPIC’s take: 👍Exciting to see how old tech can be repurposed to solve new challenges! If successful, this approach could help the city complete inventories faster and at a lower cost, by reducing the need for potholing and other invasive investigations. However, this tool is likely best suited for regions where service lines are relatively shallow.
Want to learn more?
Visit EPIC's LSL Policy Lowdown page, LSL Replacement Initiative page, and our Lead Innovation Hub.
