EPA Announces Over $50 Million to Assist Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities in Accessing Clean and Safe Drinking Water

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WASHINGTON(June 26, 2023) – 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