On August 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $25.5 million in grants through a new program to support drinking water systems in underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities while reducing the impacts of climate change. This marks the first allocation of funds under the Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, with 16 initial recipients spanning from 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. This initiative advances progress under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative by investing in communities with a history of environmental justice concerns. The EPA plans to award grants to projects benefiting underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities once legal and administrative requirements are met.
The selected recipients of the funding include:
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough (Alaska): $332,000 to install generators protecting drinking water system infrastructure from flooding, earthquakes, and severe weather.
- Saint Paul Island City (Alaska): $4,651,170 for emergency generators and infrastructure updates to protect against earthquakes, blizzards, cyclones, and flooding.
- Antelope Valley-East Kern (California): $559,760 for fuel trailers and a generator to safeguard against droughts, earthquakes, and flooding.
- City of Fresno (California): $3,700,214 for replacing failing water pipes due to drought conditions.
- Indian Wells Valley (California): $2,790,000 towards enhancing water supply efforts against droughts and earthquakes.
- St. Charles Mesa Water District (Colorado): $175,158 for installing a waterline against wildfires and drought.
- Connecticut Department of Public Health (Connecticut): $556,000 for constructing an emergency waterline and pumping station.
- City of Fargo (Georgia): $570,000 for building a well operating system against droughts and wildfires.
- Public Water Supply District #8 of Platte County (Missouri): $569,955 for replacing aging water mains to prevent leaks during droughts.
- City of Waitsburg (Washington): $570,000 for replacing main lines affected by floods and earthquakes.
- Clarksburg Water Board (West Virginia): $3,868,000 for installing mixing equipment in storage tanks due to rising summer temperatures.
- Executive Office of the Government of the Virgin Islands: $400,000 for data collection efforts against hurricanes and earthquakes.
- Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians (Northern California): $331,769 for infrastructure improvement projects safeguarding against wildfires.
- Newtok Village (Western Alaska): $5,255,974 supporting construction efforts against erosion and flooding.
- Northern Cheyenne Tribe (Southern Montana): $570,000 for upgrading water supply systems affected by natural hazards including droughts.
- Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (Coastal Washington): $600,000 developing an integrated management plan against natural disasters.
This grant program was established under the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018. AWIA aims to improve drinking water quality while bolstering infrastructure investments that enhance public health.
