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:
