Federal grant programs / Environmental Protection Agency

Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program – SDWA 1459A(l) (66.448)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$17.3 million
• Grant awards11
• Typical award$570,000
• Awarded in FY 2025$17.3 million
• Size rank1,355 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceGrant

Key findings

• It is the 1355th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 11 largest recipients received 100% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 8 states and territories.

What the program funds

The purpose of this grant program is to increase drinking water system resilience to natural hazards. Grant funding can be used to assist in the planning, design, construction, implementation, operation, or maintenance of a program or project that increases resilience to natural hazards. Funding is for projects that increase drinking water system resilience to natural hazards in underserved communities that are disadvantaged communities or communities with a population of less than 10,000 individuals. Underserved communities include those communities that: do not have household drinking water or wastewater services; 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.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

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

Who can apply

U.S. Territories and possessions, State, Local (includes State-designated lndian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals, Federally Recognized lndian Tribal Governments, Other public institution/organization Eligible applicants include (1) a public water system; a water system located in an area governed by an Indian Tribe; or a State, on behalf of an underserved community; and (2) serves a community— (A) that is underserved; and (B) that, under affordability criteria established by the State under section 1452(d)(3), is determined by the State to be a disadvantaged community; or (C) with a population of less than 10,000 individuals. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.

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 increase drinking water system resilience to natural hazards. 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. Specific uses and restrictions on funds will be described in detail in the competitive announcements.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the competitive announcement.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range: $285,000 to $6,650,000/fiscal year; Average: $3,467,500/fiscal year. This is a new program. This range reflects an estimate.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: Funded projects include the installation of emergency generators, drinking water system infrastructure upgrades, the development of integrated water resources management plans to protect drinking water systems from earthquakes, flooding, wildfires, and tsunamis, community water system Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) enhancements and the installation of cybersecurity protections in public water systems.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

State and local governments received 95% of the money, tribes 4.9%.

By state

4 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are California, Alaska, West Virginia and Washington.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.