Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended through the 2018 America’s Water Infrastructure Act, authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish the Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program. It authorizes EPA to award grants to assist underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities for the purpose of increasing drinking water facility resilience to natural hazards.
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FY 23 Selection Announcement
EPA awards $25.5 million in new grants to combat climate change impacts on drinking water infrastructure
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 at the same time reducing impacts of climate change. Click here for the news release.
The sixteen selected recipients of the Fiscal Year 2023 funding announcement 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 (EPA Region 9): $331,769 to support infrastructure and computerized control improvement projects to protect drinking water system infrastructure from wildfires.
- Newtok Village (EPA Region 10): $5,255,974 to support construction and infrastructure relocation efforts to protect drinking water system infrastructure from erosion and flooding.
- Northern Cheyenne Tribe (EPA Region 8): $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 (EPA Region 10): $600,000 to develop an integrated water resources management plan to protect drinking water system infrastructure from earthquakes, flooding, wildfires, and tsunamis.
Available Funding
The FY 2023 grant competition has closed. Please check back for updates on available funding, the application process, and other information regarding the next grant cycle competition.
Types of Projects that can be funded through this Grant Program
Funding through this grant program must be used for the planning, design, construction, implementation, operation, or maintenance of a program or project that increases resilience of public water systems to natural hazards. Examples of projects include:
- Conservation of water or the enhancement of water use efficiency
- Modification or relocation of existing drinking water system infrastructure significantly impaired by natural hazards
- Design or construction of desalination facilities to serve existing communities
- Enhancement of water supply though watershed management and source water protection
- Enhancement of energy efficiency or the use and generation of renewable energy in the conveyance or treatment of drinking water
- Measures to increase the resilience of the drinking water system to natural hazards, including planning for analytical considerations and climate change
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for this competitive grant program are public water systems, water systems located on areas governed by Tribes, and a State, on behalf of an underserved community. Each applicant must serve a community that is underserved (a community that does not have access to household drinking water or wastewater services or is served by a public water system that violates the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations) and small (contains a population of less than 10,000 people ) or disadvantaged (the service area of a public water system that meets affordability criteria established by its respective State).
Under the definition of "State" in Section 1401(13)(A) of the SDWA, in addition to the several States, the following territories are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity(on behalf of underserved communities) : the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
For-profit organizations and nonprofit organizations are not eligible to apply.
Timeline
A general overview of the FY23 grant cycle is outlined below. Check back for updated timeline information on the next grant cycle and application process.
How to Apply
The grant program is a competitive program. Applications must be submitted exclusively through grants.gov.
Application instructions are outlined in the Request for Applications (RFA), posted here: FY23 RFA Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program (pdf)
Frequently Asked Questions
10.31.23 FAQs resilience grant (pdf)
Factsheet
Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Grant Factsheet (pdf)
Outreach and Public Education
As part of the outreach campaign for this grant program, EPA will host webinars pertaining to drinking water system infrastructure resilience.
Past Webinar Presentation
The Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program Webinar
Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act
Overview
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ("IIJA") includes the Build America, Buy America Act ("the Act"). The Act strengthens Made in America Laws and will bolster America’s industrial base, protect national security, and support high-paying jobs. The Act requires that no later than May 14, 2022, the head of each covered Federal agency shall ensure that “none of the funds made available for a Federal financial assistance program for infrastructure, including each deficient program, may be obligated for a project unless all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States.”
The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Made in America Office released its guidance for implementing the Build America, Buy America Act. In regards to grant funding, OMB is proposing to revise the current OMB Guidance for Grants and Agreements. The proposed amendments are intended to provide guidance and clarify requirements for the manufactured products content test and non-ferrous construction materials. Public comments were due March 13, 2023.
Webinar presentations
- Build America, Buy America Act Implementation Webinar Presentation (April 2022) (pdf) (1.35 MB)
- Build America, Buy America Act Office of Water Implementation Procedures Webinar (November 2022) (pdf) (3.61 MB)
The Drinking Water Grants Program team is working to standardize and implement the process to support grant recipients with the BABA requirements and how to request/apply for a waiver if they are eligible. In that effort, we have established a grant inbox for the purpose of questions and eventually receiving waiver requests. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the grants team points of contact at HQ or send your questions/requests to BABA-DrinkingWaterGrants@epa.gov
Contact Information
Email: Resiliencygrant@epa.gov