$25M in Grants Released for Clean and Safe Drinking Water

May 22, 2024

PFAS-Water-Safety-Grants-SCS-Engineers
EPA adds nine PFAS compounds to the list of “hazardous constituents” and grant programs begin to trickle in.

 

On May 21, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $25 million for states and territories to invest in clean and safe drinking water. This grant funding will benefit underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities by upgrading infrastructure to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act, reducing exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), removing lead sources, and addressing additional local drinking water challenges.

Purpose of the EPA Safe Drinking Water Grants

EPA’s grant funding can support various projects to help communities address drinking water concerns, from household water quality testing to monitoring for drinking water contaminants, including PFAS, and identifying and replacing lead service lines. 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 FY 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act updated the eligible uses of the funds to include “one or more owners of drinking water wells that are not public water systems or connected to a public water system” as eligible beneficiaries of the FY 2024 SUDC grant funds awarded to states and territories.

The update allows FY 2024 SUDC funds to benefit owners of private drinking water wells for appropriate projects under the SUDC program. Because this is a new eligibility for the grant program, the EPA anticipates releasing updates with additional details to the grant Implementation Document later this year. The private well eligibility is authorized for the FY 2024 funding for states and territories only. Future Congressional action will determine eligibility for future funding.

Funding by State and Territory

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 non-competitively. EPA awards funding to states based on an allocation formula that includes factors for populations below the poverty level, small water systems, and underserved communities.

Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities (SUDC) Grant Allotments for States and Territories Based on FY 2024 Appropriations of $25 Million are in the Table Below

State/Territory 2024 Allotment   State/Territory 2024 Allotment
Alabama $369,000 Montana $326,000
Alaska $571,000 Nebraska $284,000
American Samoa $141,000 Nevada $293,000
Arizona $490,000 New Hampshire $259,000
Arkansas $342,000 New Jersey $406,000
California $1,624,000 New Mexico $393,000
Colorado $462,000 New York $1,047,000
Connecticut $273,000 North Carolina $679,000
Delaware $195,000 North Dakota $210,000
D.C. $151,000 North Mariana Islands $142,000
Florida $961,000 Ohio $609,000
Georgia $664,000 Oklahoma $492,000
Guam $135,000 Oregon $425,000
Hawaii $170,000 Pennsylvania $799,000
Idaho $316,000 Puerto Rico $478,000
Illinois $702,000 Rhode Island $168,000
Indiana $422,000 South Carolina $375,000
Iowa $348,000 South Dakota $240,000
Kansas $381,000 Tennessee $403,000
Kentucky $340,000 Texas $1,821,000
Louisiana $641,000 Utah $291,000
Maine $238,000 U.S. Virgin Islands $138,000
Maryland $305,000 Vermont $210,000
Massachusetts $348,000 Virginia $469,000
Michigan $650,000 Washington $566,000
Minnesota $382,000 West Virginia $315,000
Mississippi $420,000 Wisconsin $439,000
Missouri $524,000 Wyoming $238,000

 

Additional Resources for Safe Drinking Water Related to PFAS:

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am