The division has been awarded $86 million from the EPA to implement the EPA Emerging Contaminants for Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program (EC-SDC). The purpose of the program is to assist public water systems in small or disadvantaged communities with planning and design grants, and infrastructure funding to reduce public health risks from emerging contaminants.
The division is implementing the grant program in a multi-round Request For Application (RFA) process for public water systems under two tiers: Tier 1 is a planning and design grant up to $300,000. Tier 2 is a construction grant in award amounts up to $10M per year for up to three years. The program places priority on PFAS treatment projects followed by manganese and other drinking water emerging contaminants. More information regarding program details can be found on the WQCD Water Quality Grants webpage under the EC-SDC blue banner.
In order for projects to be eligible for this funding they must be governmental or private non-profit public water systems, be considered disadvantaged, and have an identified emerging contaminant issue through direct sampling. The program is focused on addressing issues related to PFAS, but manganese is also considered an emerging contaminant and can be funded through this program. If your system has not completed any PFAS sampling yet, you can qualify for a one time sampling of your finished drinking water for PFAS. Use this form to request PFAS sampling for your public water systems.
The program has already funded a number of projects including a new water plant to treat PFAS, a pilot study to evaluate new technology to treat emerging contaminants, and a planning grant to conduct studies to determine system improvement options for treating PFAS and manganese.
The division plans to release an RFA near the beginning of 2025 and systems are encouraged to apply for this grant opportunity. The RFA will be announced on the WQCD Water Quality Grants webpage under the EC-SDC blue banner. There will also be an announcement sent out to all subscribers of our listserv under the topics of “General - Grants and Loans” and “General - PFAS (Toxic Firefighting Foam Chemicals)”. Please go to the Stay Informed - Water Quality site to subscribe to these and other lists. If you have any questions or you would like to discuss a potential project please reach out to cdphe_wqcd_ec_sdc_grants@state.co.us.
➽ Mark Henderson, Section Manager, WQCD Community Development & Partnership Section
