The U.S. EPA Announces $25 Million to Help Provide Clean Drinking Water to Disadvantaged Communities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $25 million for states and territories to invest in clean and safe drinking water.

The grant funding is targeted to 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 sources of lead, and addressing additional local drinking water challenges.

The EPA funding announced May 21, 2024, advances President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to help communities make real progress on critical drinking water upgrades.

“Across the country, too many communities struggle to maintain and upgrade drinking water infrastructure that is essential to public health,” said Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott in a press release.

“This $25 million in EPA grant funding, along with historic investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure and help ensure everyone has access to clean and safe drinking water,” said Pigott.

The EPA’s grant funding is flexible and can support a broad range of projects to help communities address drinking water concerns, from household water quality testing to monitoring for drinking water contaminants.

The funds can also be used to identify and replace lead service lines to help achieve the goal of removing 100% of lead pipes across the country.

The funds may also support efforts to build 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.