Funding Assistance for Territories under the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

The Territorial Program is a component of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. EPA is authorized to provide grants to improve drinking water infrastructure in the following U.S. territories:

• American Samoa
• Guam
• The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• The U.S. Virgin Islands

There is a similar program for the Clean Water Act

Eligible systems and projects

Community water systems and non-profit, non-community water systems are eligible for project funding. Some examples of projects are:

• Rehabilitation or development of drinking water sources
• Installation or upgrade of treatment or storage facilities
• Installation or replacement of transmission and distribution pipes

Funds may also be used to conduct project feasibility studies, engineering design, and project administration.

Program fund allotment method

EPA may allot up to 1.5 percent of the amount available for the DWSRF grants to territories for the program. Prior to fiscal year 2010, this allotment was 0.33 %.  Since 1998, each territory was guaranteed a minimum allotment which was the greater of $150,000 or 7.5 percent of the funds available for the program.  However, since the February 2024 memorandum, the EPA raised the minimum per-territory allotment to $1,000,000 or 15% of the funds available for the Territorial Program, whichever is greater.

The funds are allotted by formula among the four territories based on:

• Population (5 percent)
• Geographical area (2.5 percent)
• The number of community water systems and non-transient non-community water systems (14 percent)
• The number of transient non-community water systems (3.5 percent)
• The “infrastructure needs” of the water systems in each territory as identified in the most current Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey (75 percent)

Review the annual allotments for territories.

How are the funds managed?

The funds are managed by EPA’s offices in Region 2 (for the U.S. Virgin Islands) and Region 9 (for American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

How are grants awarded?

EPA may award a grant to either a territorial government or directly to a territorial public water system. If the grant is awarded to a territorial government, that government selects projects to fund.

Annual Reports and Memorandums

Annual Reports

• 2023 CW and DW Territories and DC Annual Report (pdf)
• 2021 CW and DW Territories and DC Annual Report (pdf) (5.02 MB, March 2022)
• 2017 CW and DW Territories  and  DC Annual Report  

Memorandums

• Changes to Allocation Methodology and Utilization of Unobligated Funds Memorandum (pdf)
• Implementation of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories Clean Water and Drinking Water Allocations of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (pdf)