WIIN Grant: Reducing Lead in Drinking Water

WASHINGTON (October 8, 2024) —  EPA announced the availability of $35 million to assist disadvantaged communities and schools with removing sources of lead in drinking water. The EPA continues its focus on ensuring and advancing environmental justice and equity, revitalizing communities, and protecting public health through the reduction in lead grant program. Through the grant program, EPA’s prioritization in advancing the Justice40 Initiative furthers the pursuit towards meeting the goal of delivering 40 percent of the benefits from covered federal investments to disadvantaged communities.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY24 grant competition is available here: Reducing Lead FY2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity (pdf) (366.34 KB)   or view the grant opportunity. 

In this Section: Background Available Funding Eligible Applicants Eligible Projects Timeline How to Apply Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act Contact Information

Background

Funding is awarded on a competitive basis. The grant program is designed to facilitate reducing lead in drinking water in disadvantaged communities through infrastructure and/or treatment improvements or facility remediation in schools and child care facilities. The goal of these projects is to address conditions that contribute to increased concentrations of lead in drinking water. The lead reduction projects should proceed to implementation upon award.

Priority Areas identified in this announcement are for: (1) Reduction of Lead Exposure in the Nation’s Drinking Water Systems through Infrastructure and Treatment Improvements and (2) Reduction of Children’s Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child Care Facilities. A key priority for the agency is assisting drinking water systems, schools, child care facilities, and communities nationwide to minimize sources of lead in drinking water.

Available Funding

The total estimated amount of federal funding available under this announcement is approximately $35,000,000, depending on agency funding levels, the qualify of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations.

Under National Priority Area (NPA) One, Reduction of Lead Exposure in the Nation’s Drinking Water Systems through Full Lead Service Line Replacement and Treatment Improvements, the total amount of federal funding to potentially be made under this NPA is approximately $20,000,000. The EPA anticipates awarding approximately two to four assistance agreements ranging from approximately $5,000,000 to no more than $10,000,000.

Under National Priority Area (NPA) Two, Reducing Children’s Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Childcare Facilities, the total amount of federal funding to potentially be made under this NPA is approximately $15,000,000. The EPA anticipates awarding approximately three to five assistance agreements ranging from approximately $2,000,000 to no more than $5,000,000.

All applicants must demonstrate in their application submission how they will contribute a minimum non-federal cost-share/match of 20 percent of the total project cost. Section 1459B(b)(4)(B) of the SDWA states that EPA may reduce the cost share/match requirement for reasons of affordability, as the Administrator determines to be appropriate. For the FY24 funding only, the EPA is applying a waiver to all grant applicants of the statutory 20 percent cost share to reduce the potential for significant financial hardship among eligible entities. While the non-federal cost-share/match is being waived, applicants should note that any voluntary cost-share/match included in their application budget and final award document will be legally binding on the successful applicants.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants under this competition include the following. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply.

• Community water systems, for example, a town’s drinking water system.
• Water systems located in an area governed by an Indian Tribe.
• Non-transient non-community water systems, for example schools, factories, office buildings, and hospitals that have their own water systems.
• Qualified nonprofit organizations servicing a public water system.
• Municipalities.
• State, interstate, or intermunicipal agencies, such as a department of environmental protection, an interstate environmental commission, or a joint municipal pollution control board.

Eligible Projects

The proposed projects must support the Agency’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022-2026, Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities, Objective 5.1: Ensure Safe Drinking Water and Reliable Water Infrastructure. The EPA’s Strategic Plan is available at https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

Timeline

A general overview of the application process is outlined below. All awarded projects are expected to have a project period of four years. 

How to Apply

Once announced, application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) no later than 90 days post announcement in order to be considered for funding. 

Historical Funding

On October 11, 2022 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced projects that have been selected to receive over $30 million in grant funding under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. This grant funding, and additional funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help make rapid progress on the goal of addressing lead and removing lead pipes across the country.

Lead Service Line Replacements and Treatment Improvement Projects	Lead Remediation in Schools and Childcare Facilities Projects
City of Fall River, MA - $10,000,000	The School District of Philadelphia, PA – $4,999,648
City of Trenton, NJ - $5,530,000	Hawaii Department of Health, HI - $1,471,480
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, MI - $5,000,000	Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc. - $3,650,000

The Request for Applications (RFA) for the FY22 grant competition is available here. The competition has closed.  

FY22 RFA for Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water (pdf) (437.03 KB, February, 2022)

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On October 23, 2020, EPA announced projects that were selected to receive nearly $40 million in grant funding under the WIIN Act. These first-ever selections under the WIIN Act’s Reducing Lead in Drinking Water grant will be used to assist disadvantaged communities and schools with removing sources of lead in drinking water.

Lead Service Line Replacements and Treatment Improvement Projects	Lead Remediation in Schools and Childcare Facilities Projects
Providence Water Supply Board, RI - $6,402,000	Indiana Finance Authority - $544,000
City of Benton Harbor, MI - $5,557,000	Newark Board of Education, NJ - $7,475,000
City of Grand Rapids, MI - $5,141,000	Commonwealth of Massachusetts Clean Water Trust- $2,998,000
	District of Columbia, DC - $2,260,000
	Elevate Energy, IL - $2,000,000
	Virginia Department of Health, VA - $1,308,000
	Boston Public Schools, MA - $6,215,000

The Request for Applications (RFA) for the FY20 grant competition is available here. The competition has closed. 

FY20 RFA for Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water (pdf) (467.5 KB, May, 2020)  

Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act

Overview

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ("IIJA") includes the Build America, Buy America Act ("the Act"). The Act strengthens Made in America Laws and will bolster America’s industrial base, protect national security, and support high-paying jobs. The Act requires that no later than May 14, 2022, the head of each covered Federal agency shall ensure that “none of the funds made available for a Federal financial assistance program for infrastructure, including each deficient program, may be obligated for a project unless all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States.” 

The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Made in America Office released its guidance for implementing the Build America, Buy America Act. In regards to grant funding, OMB is proposing to revise the current OMB Guidance for Grants and Agreements. The proposed amendments are intended to provide guidance and clarify requirements for the manufactured products content test and non-ferrous construction materials. Public comments were due March 13, 2023. 

Webinar presentations

• Build America, Buy America Act Implementation Webinar Presentation (April 2022) (pdf) (1.35 MB)
• Build America, Buy America Act Office of Water Implementation Procedures Webinar (November 2022) (pdf) (3.61 MB)

The Drinking Water Grants Program team is working to standardize and implement the process to support grant recipients with the BABA requirements and how to request/apply for a waiver if they are eligible.  In that effort, we have established a grant inbox for the purpose of questions and eventually receiving waiver requests. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the grants team points of contact at HQ or send your questions/requests to  [email protected]

Contact Information

Applicants should raise any questions they may have to the following contact as soon as possible so that any questions about the solicitation language may be resolved prior to submitting a proposal.

Agency Contact: Hillarie Ishida

E-mail: [email protected]