water glass with cityscape in background text says USEPA announcese $1B grant funding to address PFAS

USEPA Announces $1 Billion in Grant Funding to Address PFAS

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced $1 billion of Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant funding to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and emerging contaminants. There is no cost-share/match requirements for the funding made available under EC-SDC.

In Colorado, $44.3 million of EC-SDC grant funds are available for communities, drinking water systems, and private well owners for testing, planning, and infrastructure projects that address PFAS. Initiatives to address emerging contaminants on the USEPA Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCL) such as manganese, perchlorate, 1,4‑dioxane are also eligible for the funding. Idaho, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming will each receive $9.4 million in EC-SDC grant funding. The target beneficiaries are communities as described in section 1459A of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA):

  • “Disadvantaged Community” is one determined by the State to be disadvantaged under the affordability criteria established by the state under section 1452(d)(3) of the SDWA or may become a disadvantaged community due to carrying out a project or activity under the grant program. As with the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, each State has statutory discretion to set its own criteria.
  • “Small Community” with a population of less than 10,000 individuals that does not have the capacity to incur debt sufficient to finance a project or activity under the grant program.

Projects that are eligible for EC-SDC funding include:

  • Efforts to address emerging contaminants in drinking water that would benefit a small or disadvantaged community on a per household basis;
  • Technical assistance to evaluate emerging contaminant problems;
  • Programs to provide household water-quality testing, including testing for unregulated contaminants;
  •  Local contractor training; and
  • Activities necessary and appropriate for a State to respond to an emerging contaminant.

Visit the USEPA website for more information on the EC-SDC grant program. For additional information about PFAS, visit the Perspectives and Insights section of the AE2S website.