Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Pipe dreams no more
Infrastructure | Public Sector
March 10, 2022 – Aging water systems in the United States are in line for significant upgrades. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed in fall 2021 allocates $55 billion to water initiatives over the next five years. The funding will address dire needs in some communities, where network pipes are approaching age 50 and where some cast-iron pipes were installed more than a century ago.
To read the article, see “The US Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Reinvesting in water,” February 17, 2022.
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Visual form
Two-part funding infographic with a grant-type split chart.
Layout / body structure
The chart is split into two coordinated blocks: a large left-side funding summary for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and a right-side water-spending breakout. Reader starts with the $550 billion headline total, then moves right to the smaller water allocation and its split between competitive and formula grants.
What is being compared
The chart compares total new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law spending with the portion specifically allocated to water initiatives and then compares the two main funding types inside that water allocation. It is a nested funding comparison rather than a time series.
Measurement system
The measurement is dollars in billions for the total and suballocation amounts, with percentages used for the mix of grant types. Large dollar figures anchor the scale of the overall commitment, while the 12 percent and 88 percent shares show how the water money is distributed.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The left panel uses oversized text to foreground the total BIL authorization and the water total underneath it. The right panel then breaks water funding into two contrasting pieces, with one smaller competitive-grant portion and one much larger formula-grant portion, so the composition is easy to read at a glance.
Main takeaway from the visual
Water is presented as a meaningful priority inside the broader infrastructure law, but the mix of funding is heavily tilted toward formula grants rather than competitive grants. The graphic makes that dominance clear by giving the formula portion both the larger dollar amount and the larger percentage share.
Key standout values or extremes
The chart highlights $550 billion in total new BIL spending, $55 billion devoted to water, $48 billion in formula grants, and $7 billion in competitive grants. The split is labeled 88 percent formula grants versus 12 percent competitive grants, making the competitive bucket the clear minority share.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static chart image with no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart image is the full visual on this page.