EMERGING CONTAMINANTS IN SMALL OR
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES GRANT

Under the Bipartisan infrastructure Law (BiL), enacted and funded in 2021, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1459A
added a new grant focus: Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program. The grant
is administered under § 300j-19a., the Assistance for small and disadvantaged communities section of the statute amending
subsections (a) through (j) of SDWA section 1459A. This is the same statute under which the Water Infrastructure Improvements
for the Nation (WilN) Act prioritizes compliance and water accessibility via drinking water infrastructure through the Small,
Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities (SUDC) Grant Program. The new grant program specifically addresses
emerging contaminants across small or disadvantaged communities and focuses on projects that address perfluoroalkyl and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and/or any contaminant listed in EPA's Contaminant Candidate Lists.

FUNDING AMOUNT

OBJECTIVE: TACKLING FOREVER CHEMICALS

$1B

annually (FY22-FY26) will be
allocated to states, territories,
and tribes based on several
factors that determine need

This grant funds eligible projects or activities addressing emerging
contaminants, with a focus on PFAS. The grant program is anticipated to
systematically support the reduction of exposure by the general public to
PFAS and other contaminants through their drinking water.

States will prioritize the grants to assist public water systems in small or
disadvantaged communities that are unable to finance activities needed to
address emerging contaminants in drinking water.

FUNDING DETAILS

WHO RECEIVES FUNDING

APPROACH

There is no match or cost-
share requirement.

FOCUS

Small or
disadvantaged communities

STATES, TERRITORIES,
AND TRIBES

will receive allotments of funding
annually

It is anticipated that the states will
expand their Intended Use Plan (IUP}
project listings to communities that
are eligible for grant funding but may
not qualify for State Revolving Fund
funding. This list can be the first, but
not the only, source of eligible projects
to fund in order to meet the objectives
of the grant program.

TIMING

An allotment memorandum has been released
in February 2023

Funding is anticipated to be awarded to participating
states and territories as early as FY2023

The implementation document has been made
available on EPA's EC-SDC Grant website

States and territories will have through the end of
each fiscal year to submit applications for project
awards


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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SUDC GRANT AND THE EC-SDC GRANT

SUDC

EC-SDC

Authorized Under WIIN

Authorized and appropriated under BIL

10% cost share

0% cost share

Requires the community be underserved1

Does not require the community to be underserved1

Focuses on compliance and access to
drinking water services

Focuses on emerging contaminants

"Underserved" refers to communities that do not have adequate access to drinking water or wastewater services.

IMPLEMENTATION

The FY2022 implementation of the EC-SDC Grant Program will be documented to include
technical and implementation guidance for recipients of the emerging contaminants funding
under SDWA1459A, enacted and appropriated through BIL. The document will support grant
recipients through the expected planning and execution of their programs, while also achieving
the goals, objectives, and reporting measures of the program. The implementation document
has been made available on EPA's EC-SDC Grant website in February 2023.

EXAMPLES OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

For a project to be eligible for funding, the project must be located in a small or disadvantaged community.
A project proposal submitted must also indicate in the narrative that the primary purpose for funding is to
address emerging contaminants in drinking water. EPA anticipates these projects will prioritize the reduction
of PFAS as the primary contaminant. All other projects addressing any emerging contaminant, as long as said
contaminant is listed in EPA's Contaminant Candidate Lists, are also eligible for funding.

EXAMPLES OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS INCLUDE:

Build new treatment facilities with emerging
contaminant removal capability

Upgrade existing treatment facilities (i.e.,
expanding/adding new treatment equipment)

Source exploration and new source
development

Consolidation with another water system that
does not have emerging contaminants present
or has removal capability

Project planning and design

Pilot testing for treatment alternatives

Project pre-development activities

Technical assistance to diagnose emerging
contaminant problems at their water systems

Incorporating training on PFAS and emerging
contaminants into state operator certification
materials

System training to show operators how to conduct
the monitoring for emerging contaminants or
special-purpose monitoring at a facility that has not
previously tested for emerging contaminants

Laboratory testing equipment such as supplying
water test kits and instructions to households

Source water protection activities such as
implementation of voluntary source water
protection activities in delineated drinking water
source areas (as defined in SDWA section 1453)


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