WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $50.4 million in annual funding to states and territories for communities most in need of access to clean and safe drinking water. The funding will support projects and activities in underserved, small and disadvantaged communities to access and invest in water infrastructure and comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
“Across the country, too many communities struggle with accessing clean, safe water,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “These grants will invest in solutions that upgrade infrastructure, improve water reliability, and deliver safe drinking water to our most vulnerable communities. This grant, along with other funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure and ensure everyone has access to clean, safe water.” Grant funding can support a broad range of approaches to help communities address drinking water concerns, from household water quality testing to monitoring for unregulated drinking water contaminants. Funds may also support efforts to build the technical, financial, and managerial abilities of a water system’s operations and staff. Infrastructure projects—from transmission, distribution, and storage—that support drinking water quality improvements are also eligible for grant funding.
The Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Community grant program, established under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, awards funding to states and territories on a non-competitive basis. EPA awards funding to states based on an allocation formula that includes factors for population below the poverty level, small water systems, and underserved communities. There is a 10% Tribal allotment. For more information, visit the WIIN SUDC Grant website. FY23 WIIN Funding for Small, Underserved and Disadvantaged Community Grant State/Territory Available Funding Alaska $1,157,000 Alabama $739,000 Arkansas $724,000 American Samoa $279,000 Arizona $1,021,000 California $3,304,000 Colorado $942,000 Connecticut $562,000 District of Columbia $303,000 Delaware $396,000 Florida $1,966,000 Georgia $1,338,000 Guam $262,000 Hawaii $341,000 Iowa $711,000 Idaho $642,000 Illinois $1,417,000 Indiana $854,000 Kansas $780,000 Kentucky $703,000 Louisiana $1,303,000 Massachusetts $695,000 Maryland $621,000 Maine $476,000 Michigan $1,294,000 Minnesota $761,000 Missouri $1,059,000 Northern Mariana $277,000 Mississippi $818,000 Montana $642,000 North Carolina $1,401,000 North Dakota $430,000 Nebraska $581,000 New Hampshire $534,000 New Jersey $798,000 New Mexico $812,000 Nevada $601,000 New York $2,037,000 Ohio $1,232,000 Oklahoma $1,019,000 Oregon $826,000 Pennsylvania $1,633,000 Puerto Rico $541,000 Rhode Island $342,000 South Carolina $748,000 South Dakota $506,000 Tennessee $807,000 Texas $3,692,000 Utah $604,000 Virginia $974,000 Virgin Islands $273,000 Vermont $421,000 Washington $1,165,000 Wisconsin $907,000 West Virginia $648,000 Wyoming $475,000 Total $50,394,000 For more information visit the WIIN Grant: Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program webpage.
Source: US EPA