Kelly, Boozman Champion Support for Maintenance and Security of Rural Water Systems

Senators introduce FLOWS Act to strengthen water infrastructure nationwide

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the Futureproofing Local Operations for Water Systems (FLOWS) Act of 2026 to help rural utilities improve reliability while also strengthening and modernizing their cybersecurity.

Rural water and wastewater systems are struggling with aging infrastructure, limited staffing and rising operational costs. Many of these systems serve fewer than 3,300 people and are under-resourced, making it harder to deploy modern tools that larger utilities rely on to detect leaks, manage pressure, monitor water quality and prevent service disruptions. These limitations drive higher costs for rural residents, reduce system reliability, and leave communities more vulnerable to cyber threats. The FLOWS Act authorizes $50 million annually for these improvements, targeted to the smallest and most economically challenged rural communities.

"Every family deserves safe drinking water. That requires up-to-date, reliable water infrastructure," said Kelly. "Right now, rural communities are dealing with aging systems, tight budgets, and growing cyber threats. 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."

"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," said Boozman. "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. Helping expand access to these tools is a strong step forward to keep costs affordable for households and businesses while strengthening protections against service disruptions - all without creating bureaucratic red tape."

"The Arkansas Rural Water Association supports the Futureproofing Local Operations for Water Systems Act of 2026, or FLOWS Act. This legislation will strengthen and streamline day-to-day operations for small and rural water and wastewater systems statewide. By expanding access to critical information and modern operational technology, utilities will be better equipped to handle growing issues and have the technology to respond quicker to everyday emergencies," said Arkansas Rural Water Association CEO Chris Harris.

"The FLOWS Act gives smaller, less-resourced utilities the ability to adopt innovative technologies that improve water quality and protect long-term affordability, a critical step forward for communities that often lack access to modern tools," said NACWA CEO Adam Krantz. "We appreciate Senator Boozman's leadership in ensuring rural clean water systems have the support they need to modernize and thrive."

"The National Rural Water Association supports the Futureproofing Local Operations for Water Systems Act of 2026, or FLOWS Act. This legislation will give small and rural water systems across the country access to information and operational technology, providing them the opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and continue protecting the public health of the communities they serve," said National Rural Water Association Executive Director Matthew Holmes.

"The 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure found that to raise the grades for our nation's drinking water and wastewater systems, we must be helping local utilities implement digital technologies that can improve system operations and efficiency," said ASCE President Marsha Anderson Bomar, Ph.D. "ASCE applauds the FLOWS Act as a practical, commonsense step to modernize how we plan, operate, and maintain our nation's vital water infrastructure. By providing rural communities with access to the digital tools they need to provide safe water systems and opportunities to train their local workforce on these tools, the FLOWS Act is bringing technology solutions to the communities that need it most."

The full text of the legislation is available here.