Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill allows the government to provide grants and very low-interest loans—as low as 0%—to help rural communities manage their water, sewer, and trash systems.
• It targets rural areas that are struggling financially or are considered economically distressed, helping them maintain safe services without having to drastically raise prices for residents.
• The policy gives the Secretary of Agriculture the power to forgive existing debt or change the terms of old loans that rural water systems are currently paying back to the government.
• To make sure the help goes where it is needed most, the government will create a new way to measure if water bills are affordable based on the average income of people in that specific area.
• The main goal is to ensure that even small, remote communities have the resources they need to keep their drinking water safe and their waste systems running properly.