Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program | EPA OW OGWDW 23 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA OW OGWDW 23 01

The Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discretionary funding opportunity (Assistance Listing 66.448) that supports projects meant to strengthen drinking water systems against natural hazards, with a clear focus on underserved communities. It targets communities that are disadvantaged or that serve fewer than 10,000 people, reflecting an emphasis on smaller systems that often have limited technical staff, aging infrastructure, and fewer resources to prepare for disasters. The overarching intent is to fund practical, on-the-ground actions that help community water systems keep providing safe, reliable drinking water during emergencies, and recover quickly if service is disrupted.

In this program, "resilience" is defined using the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) definition (SDWA section 1433(h), incorporated by reference in SDWA section 1459A). Resilience, in this context, is the ability of a community water system, or any of its assets (such as equipment, buildings, land, people, and other components required to deliver safe water), to adapt to or withstand a natural hazard without losing its ability to function. If the system does lose function, resilience also means being able to return to normal operations rapidly. "Natural hazard" is also defined in the SDWA and includes events like earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, drought, freezing conditions, and hydrologic changes that threaten system operations. The opportunity also recognizes that many utilities now need to plan for changing future conditions, so applicants may account for climate change related risks such as shifting temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and sea-level rise where relevant. This framing encourages projects that are not only reactive to past disasters but also proactive and designed for what conditions may look like over the coming decades.

The program is organized around two National Priority Areas that reflect two scales of work. The first priority area aims to increase resilience through smaller-scale projects that are informed by drinking water system plans, meaning projects should be tied to documented planning efforts rather than being stand-alone purchases or isolated upgrades. These smaller projects generally fit needs like targeted hardening, redundancy improvements, or other focused measures that reduce vulnerability to specific hazards. The second priority area focuses on improving resilience through larger-scale infrastructure improvements and/or optimizing mitigation measures at a drinking water system. This category is meant for more substantial efforts that can meaningfully change a system's risk profile, such as major upgrades, redesigns, or system-wide resilience investments that improve the ability to withstand hazards and keep water service running.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is offered by the EPA under Funding Opportunity Number EPA OW OGWDW 23 01, and it uses grant and cooperative agreement instruments. The stated award ceiling is $6,650,000, with an expected total of about 25 awards, indicating a competitive program that can support both moderate and relatively high-cost resilience initiatives depending on project scope. The original posting date was September 5, 2023, with an original closing date of November 6, 2023 (with the funding announcement directing applicants to Section IV for the most precise deadline instructions). Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the announcement, which typically signals that eligibility may extend beyond a single applicant type and could include certain governmental entities, tribal or territorial entities, or other organizations specified by EPA for this program, provided the project benefits qualifying small or disadvantaged communities.

Overall, the grant opportunity is designed to move drinking water utilities in smaller and underserved places from vulnerability to preparedness by investing in resilience measures that directly address natural hazard threats, incorporate forward-looking climate considerations when appropriate, and align with documented system planning. The end result EPA is seeking is straightforward: fewer service interruptions, reduced damage when disasters happen, and faster restoration of safe drinking water when systems are hit by extreme events.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.448.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 05, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 06, 2023 See Section IV of funding opportunity announcement for closing date information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $6,650,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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