Poor communities threatened by aging sewers see crucial aid slashed under Trump
January 9, 2026
Deep funding cuts under President Donald Trump will make it more difficult for struggling communities to get help to fix sewer systems that put health and homes at risk. Cuts include grants, loans and technical help promised by the Biden administration to address racial and economic disparities. The cuts threaten to widen infrastructure inequality. Many cuts are part of Trump’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion. That includes a $14 million grant to help install septic systems in several majority-Black Alabama counties where many residents must pipe sewage from their homes onto their own property because it has nowhere else to go.