Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Small and Underserved Communities Emerging Contaminants Grant Program (66.442)
Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Small and Underserved Communities Emerging Contaminants Grant Program (Assistance Listing 66.442) is run by the Environmental Protection Agency. It awarded $2.8 billion in 245 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $11.4 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.1 million. Half of the 245 awards fell between $549,000 and $18.9 million, and they ranged from $16,250 to $169 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$2.8 billion
- Grant awards245
- Typical award$1.1 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$940 million
- Size rank132 of 1824
- Type of assistanceGrant
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $20.2 million in fiscal 2021 to $940 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 132nd largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 66% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 54 states and territories.
What the program funds
The objective is to assist communities that are small or disadvantaged to comply with the Safe Water Drinking Act (SDWA). Funding is awarded to states, territories, and Tribes/Tribal water systems, for projects/activities that are necessary for public water systems to comply with national drinking water standards established by SDWA. Funding will continue to support projects and activities that benefit underserved communities. Underserved communities have an inadequate system for obtaining drinking water and include those communities that do not have household drinking water or wastewater services, or are served by a public water system that violates or exceeds a requirement of a national primary drinking water regulation issued under SDWA section 1412, including a maximum contaminant level; a treatment technique; or an action level. Additionally, funds may be used to provide support towards testing, reduction, and remediation of emerging contaminants. The funding priority will continue to be projects and activities that benefit small or disadvantaged communities. Small communities include those will populations less than 10,000 individuals. Disadvantaged communities are those that meet affordability criteria established by the state in which the project takes place. For FY25 funding, projects supporting private wells are also considered eligible activities.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funds are provided to eligible applicants to carry out projects and activities needed for public water systems to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Eligible projects/activities for grant funding include, but are not limited to, the following: investments necessary for a public water system to comply with the SDWA; point of access or point of use treatment devices, service line replacements (regardless of pipe material or ownership of the property on which the service line is located); the development of an alternative drinking water supply in the case of an emergency; the development/replacement/rehabilitation of drinking water storage structures to maintain compliance and protect public health; the consolidation of a water system that is not for growth purposes; testing for unregulated contaminants; the connection of underserved communities to an existing water system; and planning activities and remediation. More information is available at https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/wiin-grant-small-underserved-and-disadvantaged-communities-grant-program-0. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA. Funding cannot be used for the purchase of land, easements, rights-of-way, and relocations. In addition funding cannot be used for operation and maintenance costs.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. The statutory language requires the grant award to have a non-federal cost share/match of no less than 10% of the total costs of the project or activity unless EPA provides a waiver. For FY 2025 funding and awards funded with carryover from prior fiscal years, the cost share match is waived. Matching requirements are to be described in implementation documents. This program does not have a statutory formula. However, EPA allocates funds based on formulas contained in program guidance. Any resources contributed to the project beyond the funds provided by the agency would be considered leveraged resources. Matching requirements are mandatory under annual, non-IIJA appropriations. A non-federal cost share/match is not required under IIJA appropriations. The matching requirement under the SUDC Tribal program has been waived.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
The range of annual appropriations of funding for States/Territories: $135,000 to $1,821,000; Average: $456,000. The range of the regional tribal allotments: $10,000 to $885,000; Average: $285,000. The range of annual appropriations of funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) appropriations for States/Territories: $9,457,000 to $82,961,000; Average: $17,194,545. The range for the regional tribal allotments through the IIJA: $146,000 to $7,588,000; Average: $1,930,000.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: The projects and activities funded include SDWA compliance investments that fit under one of the following categories: (1) Treatment; (2) Transmission and Distribution; (3) Source; (4) Storage (e.g. installation or replacement/rehabilitation of water storage infrastructure); (5) Creation of New Systems; (6) Consolidation (e.g. interconnecting two or more public water systems); (7) Household water quality testing, including for unregulated contaminants; (8) Providing households access to drinking water services; (9) Assistance to increase technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) capacity; (10) Drinking water contamination response efforts. The projects and activities funded include investments targeted to public water systems, programs to fit under one of the following categories: (1) Research and Testing; (2) Planning and Design to Address Emerging Contaminant(s); (3) Treatment of Emerging Contaminant(s); (4) Source Water Activities Related to Emerging Contaminant(s); (5) Storage; (6) Water System Restructuring, Consolidation, or Creation; (7) Providing Households Access to Drinking Water; (8) Technical Assistance; (9) Public Communication, Engagement, and Education.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Small and Underserved Communities Emerging Contaminants Grant Program (66.442) awarded$2.8 billion across 245 grant awards, an average of $11.4 million per award.
Who usually wins
Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 233 | $2.8 billion | 100% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 11 | $3.2 million | 0.1% |
| Nonprofits | 1 | $472,648 | less than 0.1% |
By state
50 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 7 | $262 million |
| Texas | 4 | $173 million |
| New York | 8 | $134 million |
| Colorado | 5 | $131 million |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | $118 million |
| New Jersey | 7 | $103 million |
| Ohio | 6 | $96.4 million |
| North Carolina | 3 | $93.0 million |
| Florida | 3 | $90.5 million |
| Arizona | 7 | $88.0 million |
| Alabama | 3 | $80.4 million |
| Massachusetts | 7 | $79.3 million |
| Michigan | 6 | $61.5 million |
| Georgia | 4 | $59.3 million |
| Indiana | 4 | $54.0 million |
| Wyoming | 4 | $48.3 million |
| Oklahoma | 6 | $46.1 million |
| Minnesota | 5 | $45.7 million |
| Virginia | 7 | $44.5 million |
| Illinois | 3 | $44.5 million |
| Wisconsin | 6 | $41.8 million |
| Tennessee | 3 | $40.7 million |
| Nebraska | 6 | $40.3 million |
| Missouri | 5 | $40.2 million |
| Connecticut | 8 | $40.1 million |
| Maine | 8 | $39.9 million |
| New Mexico | 6 | $39.8 million |
| New Hampshire | 7 | $39.7 million |
| Vermont | 8 | $39.7 million |
| Rhode Island | 5 | $39.4 million |
| Washington | 4 | $36.1 million |
| Kentucky | 2 | $35.0 million |
| Montana | 5 | $31.0 million |
| Maryland | 5 | $30.8 million |
| Arkansas | 5 | $30.8 million |
| Kansas | 4 | $30.5 million |
| West Virginia | 4 | $30.0 million |
| Louisiana | 4 | $29.9 million |
| North Dakota | 5 | $29.9 million |
| Nevada | 4 | $29.6 million |
| Delaware | 3 | $29.5 million |
| Iowa | 2 | $29.0 million |
| Hawaii | 3 | $28.8 million |
| Utah | 2 | $28.4 million |
| South Carolina | 2 | $23.9 million |
| Oregon | 4 | $20.6 million |
| Puerto Rico | 3 | $20.4 million |
| District of Columbia | 3 | $19.4 million |
| South Dakota | 3 | $8.6 million |
| Alaska | 3 | $3.8 million |
| Mississippi | 2 | $996,000 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | $407,000 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 2 | $353,000 |
| American Samoa | 1 | $154,000 |