The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced $20 million in available grant funding to assist communities and schools with removing sources of lead in drinking water.
Under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, USEPA announced the availability of $10 million for projects to conduct lead service line replacements or implement corrosion control improvements and $10 million for projects that remove sources of lead in drinking water such as fixtures, fountains, outlets and plumbing materials in schools or childcare facilities.
The USEPA will award the funding in alignment with the goals of the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to deliver at least 40% of the benefits of certain Federal investments to underserved communities. USEPA encourages applications that support equity by prioritizing underserved communities, those with lead reduction projects at drinking water systems with at least one lead action level exceedance within the last three years, as well as those with schools with at least 50% of the children receiving free and reduced lunch, in Head Start facilities, and/or in areas with additional environmental health burdens like areas with older buildings likely to have lead-based paint.
The WIIN grant will be awarded through a Request for Application process. The funding opportunity will remain open until April 19, 2022 on www.grants.gov.