WASHINGTON – Today, August 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $25.5 million in grants through a new program to support drinking water systems in underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities while reducing impacts of climate change. This is the first time EPA is awarding funding under the Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, with the 16 inaugural selectees spanning Connecticut to Alaska.

“Across the country, climate stress is often felt as water stress that can burden a community’s drinking water infrastructure,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Bruno Pigott. “This new grant program, along with historic investments from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure and protect public health.”

Environmental justice and equity are central to EPA’s programs, and this action advances progress under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative by investing in communities with a legacy of environmental justice concerns. Through these grants, EPA will make awards to projects that benefit underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities. EPA anticipates making the awards to the selected recipients once they have satisfied legal and administrative requirements.

The 16 selected recipients of the funding are:

• Ketchikan Gateway Borough (Alaska): $332,000 to install generators to protect drinking water system infrastructure from flooding, earthquakes, and severe weather.
• Saint Paul Island City (Alaska): $4,651,170 to install emergency generators and update infrastructure, including computerized Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition capabilities, to protect drinking water system infrastructure from earthquakes, blizzards, cyclones, and flooding.
• Antelope Valley-East Kern (California): $559,760 to install fuel trailers and a generator to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought, earthquakes, and flooding.
• City of Fresno (California): $3,700,214 to replace failing water pipes to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought.
• Indian Wells Valley (California): $2,790,000 towards water supply enhancement efforts to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought, earthquakes, and climate change.
• St. Charles Mesa Water District (Colorado): $175,158 to install a waterline to protect drinking water system infrastructure from wildfires and drought.
• Connecticut Department of Public Health (Connecticut): $556,000 to construct an emergency waterline and pumping station to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought.
• City of Fargo (Georgia): $570,000 to construct a well and a well operating system to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought and wildfires.
• Public Water Supply District #8 of Platte County (Missouri): $569,955 to replace aging water mains and service lines to prevent water loss leaks and protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought.
• City of Waitsburg (Washington): $570,000 to replace water main lines to protect drinking water system infrastructure from flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, and wind.
• Clarksburg Water Board (West Virginia): $3,868,000 to protect the drinking water system from effects of rising temperatures in summer months, when precursor organic compounds lead to increased trihalomethanes production, by installing mixing and aeration equipment in water storage tanks.
• Executive Office of the Government of the Virgin Islands (U.S. Virgin Islands): $400,000 to support data collection and modeling efforts to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
• Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians (Northern California): $331,769 to support infrastructure and computerized control improvement projects to protect drinking water system infrastructure from wildfires.
• Newtok Village (Western Alaska): $5,255,974 to support construction and infrastructure relocation efforts to protect drinking water system infrastructure from erosion and flooding.
• Northern Cheyenne Tribe (Southern Montana): $570,000 to support water supply system upgrades to protect drinking water system infrastructure from natural hazards, including drought and wildfires.
• Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (Coastal Washington): $600,000 to develop an integrated water resources management plan to protect drinking water system infrastructure from earthquakes, flooding, wildfires, and tsunamis.

Learn more about EPA’s Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program.

Background

This is the first time EPA is awarding funding under the Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program, established under the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018. AWIA improves drinking water and water quality, deepens infrastructure investments, enhances public health and quality of life, increases jobs, and bolsters the economy.