- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Energy | Environment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will deploy $90 million in new grant funding to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure serving tribal nations and rural communities, the agency announced April 24.
Of that total, $30 million will be directed to projects in tribal communities through a partnership with the Indian Health Service. The funding is intended to address long-standing infrastructure needs, including expanding access to centralized water systems, repairing aging facilities, reducing contaminants and replacing deteriorating sewage and wastewater treatment systems.
The remaining $60 million will flow through existing EPA programs that provide technical assistance to small, rural and tribal systems. This includes the RealWaterTA initiative, which focuses on engineering, operations, workforce development and financial management support to help utilities meet federal standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act.
For tribal governments and enterprises, the funding represents a continued federal investment in basic infrastructure that underpins public health and economic activity. Water and wastewater systems are often a prerequisite for housing, health care facilities and commercial development on tribal lands.
The announcement builds on prior EPA funding in 2025, when the agency allocated nearly $300 million for water infrastructure and technical assistance in tribal and rural communities, including set-aside funding specifically for Indian Country.
EPA did not provide a timeline for when the new funds will be awarded or distributed.
