EPA Announces Over $50 Million to Assist Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities in Accessing Clean and Safe Drinking Water | US EPA

U.S. EPA Announces $50.4 Million in Funding for Clean and Safe Drinking Water

June 26, 2023

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WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $50.4 million in annual funding to states and territories for communities most in need of access to clean and safe drinking water. The funding will support projects and activities in underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities to access and invest in water infrastructure and comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

“Across the country, too many communities struggle with accessing clean, safe water,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “These grants will invest in solutions that upgrade infrastructure, improve water reliability, and deliver safe drinking water to our most vulnerable communities. This grant, along with other funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure and ensure everyone has access to clean, safe water.”

Grant funding can support a broad range of approaches to help communities address drinking water concerns, from household water quality testing to monitoring for unregulated drinking water contaminants. Funds may also support efforts to build the 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.

The Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Community grant program, established under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, awards funding to states and territories on a non-competitive basis. EPA awards funding to states based on an allocation formula that includes factors for population below the poverty level, small water systems, and underserved communities. There is a 10% Tribal allotment. For more information, visit the WIIN SUDC Grant website.

FY23 WIIN Funding for Small, Underserved and Disadvantaged Community Grant

1. State/Territory
   • Available Funding
2. Alaska
   • $1,157,000
3. Alabama
   • $739,000
4. Arkansas
   • $724,000
5. American Samoa
   • $279,000
6. Arizona
   • $1,021,000
7. California
   • $3,304,000
8. Colorado
   • $942,000
9. Connecticut
   • $562,000
10. District of Columbia
    • $303,000
11. Delaware
    • $396,000
12. Florida
    • $1,966,000
13. Georgia
    • $1,338,000
14. Guam
    • $262,000
15. Hawaii
    • $341,000
16. Iowa
    • $711,000
17. Idaho
    • $642,000
18. Illinois
    • $1,417,000
19. Indiana
    • $854,000
20. Kansas
    • $780,000
21. Kentucky
    • $703,000
22. Louisiana
    • $1,303,000
23. Massachusetts
    • $695,000
24. Maryland
    • $621,000
25. Maine
    • $476,000
26. Michigan
    • $1,294,000
27. Minnesota
    • $761,000
28. Missouri
    • $1,059,000
29. Northern Mariana
    • $277,000
30. Mississippi
    • $818,000
31. Montana
    • $642,000
32. North Carolina
    • $1,401,000
33. North Dakota
    • $430,000
34. Nebraska
    • $581,000
35. New Hampshire
    • $534,000
36. New Jersey
    • $798,000
37. New Mexico

    SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

    1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

    • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

    The article discusses the funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to states and territories for communities in need of access to clean and safe drinking water. This directly relates to SDG 6, which aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

    2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

    • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
    • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.

    The article mentions that the funding will support projects and activities in underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities to access and invest in water infrastructure and comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This aligns with Target 6.1, which focuses on achieving universal access to safe drinking water. Additionally, the mention of improving water reliability and delivering safe drinking water to vulnerable communities relates to Target 6.3, which aims to improve water quality and reduce pollution.

    3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

    • Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services.
    • Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality.

    The article does not explicitly mention these indicators, but the funding provided by the EPA to improve access to clean and safe drinking water can contribute to measuring progress towards Indicator 6.1.1, which focuses on the proportion of the population using safely managed drinking water services. Additionally, the efforts to upgrade infrastructure and improve water reliability can contribute to measuring progress towards Indicator 6.3.2, which looks at the proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality.

    SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

    SDGs	Targets	Indicators
    SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.	Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services. Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality.

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    Source: epa.gov

     

    

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