August 25, 2021
Connecting Constituents with Federal Programs for Drinking
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects
Congress has established programs to assist constituents—
Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act
including individuals, organizations, and local
The Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act
governments—with drinking water and wastewater
provides long-term, low-cost loans for eligible water and
infrastructure projects. This In Focus includes a list of
wastewater infrastructure projects. The minimum project
selected federal grant, loan, and other programs that support
size is $20 million for large communities and $5 million for
such projects. The following programs vary in scope and
small communities (populations of 25,000 or less). CFDA
funding level and are not a comprehensive list of all
Number 66.958; https://www.epa.gov/wifia
potentially relevant programs for a given project.
Safe Drinking Water Act Programs
Federal assistance programs are designed to meet goals
The Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged
authorized by Congress and often target community needs.
Communities program provides grants to public water
Most federal grant funds go to state and local governments,
systems in underserved, small, and disadvantaged
which in turn may issue sub-awards to other entities.
communities for projects that help communities meet the
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact federal
requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Beginning in
agencies, state agencies, or both, for information on
2020, EPA dedicated a portion of this funding for projects
eligibility, the application process, award cycles, and
serving American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
funding availability. Each program’s funding availability
depends on annual appropriations. Where applicable,
The Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Program makes
program websites and Catalog of Federal Domestic
available grants to assist disadvantaged communities with
Assistance (CFDA) numbers are provided to assist
replacing lead service lines and removing potential sources
interested applicants with accessing more information about
of lead in drinking water. CFDA Number 66.443;
each program. CFDA numbers can be used by potential
https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/wiin-grant-reduction-lead-
applicants to search for and identify potential funding
exposure-drinking-water
opportunities at https://sam.gov/content/assistance-listings.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking
Programs
Water Grant Program provides funding to assist schools
and childcare programs with testing for lead in drinking
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) receives
water. Tribal consortia, on behalf of tribes, are included
annual appropriations for several drinking water and
among eligible applicants. CFDA Number 66.444;
wastewater infrastructure programs.
https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/wiin-grant-lead-testing-
school-and-child-care-program-drinking-water
State Revolving Funds Programs
State Revolving Funds (SRFs) programs are federal-state
Training and Technical Assistance for Small
partnerships wherein EPA provides grants to the states (and
Systems Funding
Puerto Rico) to capitalize revolving funds. States then
This program funds technical assistance efforts for small
administer these funds as loans to community water and
public drinking water and wastewater systems, including
wastewater systems and to other entities for infrastructure
training, site visits, and other support. CFDA Numbers
projects and related activities necessary to comply with the
66.436 and 66.424; https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/
Safe Drinking Water Act or the Clean Water Act. From
training-and-technical-assistance-small-systems-funding
EPA’s SRF appropriations, the agency provides funding to
the U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and federally
U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Grant
recognized tribes for eligible water infrastructure projects,
Program
because these entities do not have SRF programs.
This grant program funds drinking water and wastewater
https://www.epa.gov/dwsrf and https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf
infrastructure projects in both the United States and Mexico
that are within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the southern
Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal
border. Project sponsors can apply to the program through
Grants Program
the North American Development Bank, which screens for
This program provides grant funding for projects that help
initial eligibility and prioritizes projects using EPA’s
communities manage urban stormwater runoff (e.g.,
ranking methodologies. CFDA Number 66.202;
addressing combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer
https://www.epa.gov/small-and-rural-wastewater-systems/
overflows). CFDA Number 66.447; https://www.epa.gov/
us-mexico-border-water-infrastructure-grant-program
cwsrf/sewer-overflow-and-stormwater-reuse-municipal-
grants-program
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Connecting Constituents with Federal Programs for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects
U.S. Department of Agriculture
projects, including public works projects, such as water and
Programs
sewer system improvements. CFDA Numbers 11.300,
Through the USDA Rural Utilities Service’s Water and
11.307; https://eda.gov/programs/eda-programs/
Environmental Programs, rural communities may be able to
obtain technical assistance and financing to develop
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
drinking water and wastewater disposal systems.
Development, Community Development Block
Grants
Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program
This program provides flexible federal funding to states and
The loan and grant program provides funding to eligible
localities to support economic development, community
communities for clean and reliable drinking water systems,
development, and infrastructure, including drinking water
sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and
and wastewater projects. CFDA Numbers 14.228 & 14.218;
stormwater drainage. CFDA Number 10.760;
https://www.hud.gov/states
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-
disposal-loan-grant-program
U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of
Disaster Assistance
Water & Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate
This SBA program provides low-interest, long-term loans
Health Risks for Tribal Lands and Colonias
following a federally certified disaster. Loans are available
This program provides federally recognized tribes and
to private for-profit and private non-profit drinking water
colonias (unincorporated, economically distressed
and wastewater utilities. CFDA Number 59.008;
communities along the southern border in AZ, CA, NM, or
https://www.epa.gov/fedfunds/small-business-
TX), and other rural, low-income communities facing
administration-loans-available-water-and-wastewater-
significant health risks with funding to improve access to
utilities
safe and reliable drinking water and waste disposal facilities
U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of
and services. CDFA Number 10.770;
Reclamation, WaterSMART Grants
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-
disposal-grants-alleviate-health-risks-tribal-lands-and-
WaterSMART grants provide cost-shared financial
assistance on a competitive basis for water management
colonias
improvements, including water efficiency, water reuse,
Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants
desalination, and drought resilience projects. CFDA
This program assists eligible communities in preparing for,
Number 15.507;
or recovering from, emergencies that threaten the
https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/weeg/
availability of safe, reliable drinking water. CFDA Number
Regional Commissions
10.763; https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/
Four active regional commissions receive federal
emergency-community-water-assistance-grants
appropriations for regional economic development, which
Revolving Funds for Financing Water and
may be used for drinking water and wastewater projects,
Wastewater Projects (Revolving Fund Program)
among other purposes. The commissions are the
Appalachian Regional Commission, https://www.arc.gov;
This program assists qualified nonprofits with establishing
the Delta Regional Authority, https://www.dra.gov; the
revolving loan funds that can be used to extend and
Denali Commission, https://www.denali.gov; and the
improve water and waste disposal systems in rural areas.
Northern Border Regional Commission, https://nbrc.gov.
CFDA Number 10.864; https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-
services/revolving-funds-for-financing-water-and-
Additional CRS Resources
wastewater-projects
The CRS Grants and Federal Assistance website,
https://www.crs.gov/Resources/Grants, contains resources
Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant
for Congress, including CRS Report R46471, Federally
Program
Supported Projects and Programs for Wastewater,
This program assists qualified nonprofits and tribes with
Drinking Water, and Water Supply Infrastructure. CRS
establishing a revolving loan fund to increase access to
reports are publicly available at
clean, reliable water well and septic systems for households
https://crsreports.congress.gov/.
in eligible rural areas. CFDA Number 10.862;
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-
Rachel J. Eck, Research Librarian
decentralized-water-systems-grant
Kezee Procita, Senior Research Librarian
Selected Other Federal Programs
IF11911
U.S. Economic Development Administration Public
Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance
Programs
These two programs provide grants to distressed
communities for various types of economic development


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Connecting Constituents with Federal Programs for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects


Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11911 · VERSION 1 · NEW

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