Section 2104 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act establishes the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities (SUDC) grant to award funding to states, territories, and tribes to assist public water systems in meeting Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements. Information about administration of the Tribal SUDC Grant Program is below. For information about the funds available to states and territories, see the State SUDC Grant Program webpage.

The grant program is established as a non-competitive program and designed to help public water systems in underserved communities meet and comply with Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements. This program provides assistance to underserved communities that have no household drinking water or wastewater services or are served by a public water system that violates or exceeds any Maximum Containment Level, treatment technique, or action level.

Funding under this program supports drinking water projects and activities in underserved and small communities that are unable to finance projects to comply with drinking water regulations under the SDWA. Additionally, the grant funding aids communities in managing drinking water concerns through household water quality testing, including testing for unregulated drinking water contaminants.

Available Funding

EPA will distribute the national tribal allotment of the Grant Program, subject to Congressional appropriations, as an allocation to regions based upon the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set Aside Program (DWIG-TSA) allocation formula. Regional offices will develop the procedures and schedule for annual selection of projects and activities, obligation of funds, or distribution of grants. EPA Regions will have up to one calendar year from the date that funds are made available to the Regions to obligate funds to awarded projects and activities but are encouraged to award funds as soon as possible.

Information on Regional allotments of FY 2022 and FY 2023 SUDC program funds can be found here: Tribal Water Infrastructure Funding Allotment Memo, June 2023 (pdf)

Eligible Applicants

This grant program makes assistance available to public water systems that serve tribal communities that are determined to be small (less than 10,000 individuals) as specified under the guidelines of the grant program.

Eligible Projects

Assistance under this program will support projects or activities that increase the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of a public water system and may include training, technical assistance, or infrastructure projects. Projects that receive assistance under this program may include and are not limited to:

• Investments necessary for a public water system to comply with the SDWA.
• Efforts that benefit a small or disadvantaged community on a per household basis.
• Programs to provide household water quality testing, including testing for unregulated contaminants.
• Activities necessary and appropriate to respond to a contaminant.

How to Apply

At this time many Regions are coordinating funding through federal partner collaborations via interagency agreements. Available funding vehicles for using the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities grant can be carried out through:

• Contract as in-kind services
• Interagency Agreements (IAs)
• Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreements (DITCA)
• Direct Grants
• Cooperative Agreements

Applicants that are eligible may reach out to EPA Regional offices for additional information.