Federal money available to drinking water systems

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces the availability of $2.7 billion for State Revolving Funds, including $30,704,000 for South Carolina. The funding assists states, tribes and territories with infrastructure projects that help protect surface water and provide safe drinking water to communities across the country. “EPA’s decades-long commitment to water infrastructure has helped provide $180 billion in project financing to over 41,000 water quality infrastructure projects and 15,000 drinking water projects across the country,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “In the past three years, the Trump Administration has accelerated EPA’s investment in infrastructure projects that modernize our nation’s water infrastructure and improve public health and the environment.” In 2020, EPA is providing approximately $1.6 billion in new federal grant funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, including $16,444,000 to assist South Carolina. This funding is available for a wide range of water infrastructure projects, including modernizing aging wastewater infrastructure, implementing water reuse and recycling and addressing stormwater. More than $64 million in CWSRF grant funding is available to tribes, certain U.S. territories and the District of Columbia for infrastructure projects. EPA is also making available more than $1.07 billion in new federal grant funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, including $14,260,000 to assist South Carolina. This funding can be used for loans that help drinking water systems install treatment for contaminants, improve distribution systems by removing lead service lines and improve system resiliency to natural disasters such as floods. In addition, more than $50 million in DWSRF grant funding is available to tribes, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to use for drinking water system upgrades.