FLOWS Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Boozman and Kelly, creates a new grant program to help rural towns upgrade their water systems with modern technology. The goal is to use digital tools to find leaks, monitor water pressure, and make sure drinking water and sewer systems run more efficiently.
• The program would provide $50 million every year from 2027 to 2031. Small towns that serve fewer than 3,300 people would get top priority for this money, helping communities that often struggle to afford expensive high-tech upgrades.
• Beyond just buying equipment, the money can be used to train workers on how to use new software and protect water systems from cyberattacks. It also allows towns to pay for the ongoing costs of keeping their software running, which is usually hard to do with federal grants.
• The government will also study how these digital tools help rural areas save money and prevent problems like water loss or sewer overflows during heavy rain. This will help leaders understand how to keep water bills affordable and systems reliable as populations grow.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.