East Valley Water District

Turning Federal Tax Credits into $22.4 Million Back for the Community

Weist Law worked with East Valley Water District to identify and capture federal tax credit funding tied to their infrastructure projects. As a result, the District has received over $22.4 million back from the federal government, creating significant new funding for their system and community.

East Valley Water District was already making major investments in critical infrastructure—projects that are essential to maintaining reliable water service and supporting long-term growth in their community.

Like many public agencies, the focus was on delivering these projects efficiently and responsibly. What wasn’t immediately clear was that a portion of those investments could qualify for newly expanded federal tax credit programs—programs that, until recently, were largely out of reach for public entities.

Identifying an Opportunity That Wasn’t Obvious

Recent federal changes have opened the door for public agencies to benefit directly from certain tax credits. Instead of those benefits going to private developers or third parties, agencies can now receive funds directly from the federal government.

Understanding which projects qualify, how to structure them correctly, and how to navigate the process takes a coordinated effort across multiple teams. Without that, it’s easy for these opportunities to go unnoticed.

Creating a Path to the Funding

Weist Law worked closely with the District to evaluate their projects and determine where these federal programs could apply. This wasn’t just a high-level review—it required digging into project details, aligning them with federal requirements, and coordinating with the District’s broader team to make sure everything was set up correctly from the start.

The goal was straightforward: make sure the District captured every dollar it was eligible for.

From Planning to Real Dollars

Once the strategy was in place, the focus shifted

to execution—making sure everything was properly

documented, filed, and completed without delays.

As a result of this effort, East Valley Water District has

now received over $22.4 million back from the

federal government tied to these tax credit programs.

What This Means Moving Forward

Receiving over $22 million in funding allows the District to reinvest directly into infrastructure, support long-term system reliability, and reduce pressure on existing financial resources. Most importantly, it represents funding that likely would not have been captured without a clear understanding of the opportunity and a coordinated approach to securing it.

A Broader Shift for Public Agencies

Public agencies now have access to funding tools that didn’t exist for them before. But while the opportunity is there, it still requires early planning, the right structure, and careful execution to actually realize the benefit.

East Valley Water District’s experience is a strong example of what’s possible when those pieces come together.