When the federal government invests in roads, bridges, water systems, and broadband, where do the materials come from? For decades, the answer too often pointed overseas. The Build America, Buy America Act — commonly known as BABA — was written to change that, and its ripple effects are reshaping how infrastructure projects are specified, sourced, and built across the country.
The Build America, Buy America Act was signed into law on November 15, 2021, as part of the broader Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). BABA establishes a domestic content procurement preference for all federal financial assistance programs that fund infrastructure projects. In plain language, if a project receives federal dollars for infrastructure, the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in that project must be produced in the United States.
The Act's requirements are sweeping. BABA defines infrastructure broadly, encompassing:
Virtually every category of public works falls under BABA's domestic sourcing mandate.
The policy rationale behind BABA is straightforward. By requiring American-made materials in federally funded infrastructure, the legislation aims to bolster domestic manufacturing, build more resilient supply chains, and support good-paying American jobs. It represents a deliberate shift away from reliance on foreign suppliers toward a model where public investment circulates back into the domestic economy.
BABA did not emerge in a vacuum. It was built upon decades of existing "Buy America" and "Buy American" legislation, and addressed significant gaps. Prior laws — such as the Buy American Act of 1933 and various sector-specific provisions — applied only to narrow categories of federal spending. A water project funded through one agency might face domestic sourcing rules, while an identical project under another agency could sidestep them entirely.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued final guidance on August 14, 2023, codifying BABA requirements into the Code of Federal Regulations as 2 CFR Part 184. This framework clarified compliance expectations, established waiver procedures, and defined what qualifies as domestically produced.
Under current rules, the cost of domestic components in a manufactured product must exceed 55 percent of the total cost of all components. For iron and steel, the requirement is stricter still: all manufacturing processes, from initial melting through coating application, must occur within the United States.
BABA also provides a structured waiver process. Agencies may grant waivers if applying the domestic preference would be inconsistent with the public interest, if specific materials are not produced domestically in sufficient quantity or satisfactory quality, or if using American-made materials would increase the total project cost by more than 25 percent. Waiver requests undergo public review for transparency.
For manufacturers serving the water and wastewater sector — one of the infrastructure categories most directly affected by BABA — compliance is not optional. It is a prerequisite for participation in federally funded projects. This is where Poly Processing stands apart.
Poly Processing is headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, with additional manufacturing facilities in French Camp, California, and Winchester, Virginia. We design and manufacture cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) chemical storage tank systems entirely within the United States. Every tank is rotationally molded at one of our three domestic plants using domestically sourced resins.
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This coast-to-coast footprint ensures domestic production and cost-effective shipping nationwide, with most orders shipped within eight to ten weeks.
What makes Poly Processing's position significant under BABA is the classification of our products. Under 2 CFR Part 184, plastic and polymer-based products are explicitly listed as construction materials subject to Buy America preferences. Poly Processing's XLPE tanks — used for storing sodium hypochlorite, sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, and dozens of other treatment chemicals — fall squarely within this category.
When a municipal water treatment plant upgrades its chemical storage using federal funding, the tanks must be BABA compliant. Poly Processing's products meet that standard because they are manufactured in America from start to finish.
Beyond BABA compliance, Poly Processing holds certifications that further validate its tank systems. We are the only manufacturer with complete chemical tank systems — tanks, fittings, gaskets, and accessories — certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN-61, the standard protecting drinking water from toxic leaching.
Poly Processing holds NSF-61 certification for 38 popular water treatment chemicals in its XLPE systems. Our tanks also comply with ASTM D-1998, the benchmark standard for polyethylene upright storage tanks, and the company offers the OR-1000™ antioxidant system for enhanced chemical resistance.
These certifications matter because BABA compliance alone does not guarantee product performance. A domestically manufactured tank can still fail prematurely without rigorous construction standards. Poly Processing's approach — combining BABA-compliant manufacturing with industry-leading certifications — means specifiers and engineers do not have to choose between regulatory compliance and product quality. They get both.
The practical impact of BABA on infrastructure procurement is substantial. Grant recipients and contractors on federally funded projects must document that all covered materials meet domestic content requirements, including self-certification letters from manufacturers, bills of materials, and manufacturing records — retained for at least five years after project closeout. Choosing a manufacturer that can readily provide this documentation simplifies compliance and reduces the risk of delays, funding clawbacks, or audit findings.
Poly Processing's vertically integrated domestic manufacturing model eliminates the ambiguity that complicates compliance for companies with global supply chains. When every step of production occurs within American facilities, the documentation trail is clear and the domestic content calculation is straightforward. For engineers and specifiers working on BABA-covered projects, that clarity is invaluable.
As federal infrastructure investment continues to flow across the country, demand for BABA-compliant products will only grow. Poly Processing's commitment to American manufacturing, combined with its full-system certifications and decades of innovation, positions it as a trusted partner for projects where compliance, quality, and reliability are non-negotiable.
Have questions about Poly Processing’s BABA-certification? Contact us today!