The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding over $7.3 million in grants in California to support four drinking water systems in underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities that will be facing drought, wildfires and other impacts of climate change. This is the first time EPA is awarding funding under the Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program, with the 16 inaugural selectees nationwide in nine states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Across California, the impact of climate change is often felt as water-related stress, with serious burdens placed on communities’ drinking water infrastructure,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “This new grant program, along with historic investments from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will strengthen our state’s water infrastructure and advance the goal of safe, available drinking water for all.”
Environmental justice and equity are central to EPA’s programs, and this action advances progress under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative by investing in communities with a legacy of environmental justice concerns. Through these grants, EPA will make awards to projects that benefit underserved, small, and disadvantaged communities. EPA anticipates making the awards to the selected recipients once they have satisfied legal and administrative requirements.
The four selected recipients of the funding in California are:
- Antelope Valley-East Kern ($559,760) to install fuel trailers and a generator to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought, earthquakes, and flooding.
- City of Fresno ($3,700,214) to replace failing water pipes to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought.
- Indian Wells Valley ($2,790,000) towards water supply enhancement efforts to protect drinking water system infrastructure from drought, earthquakes, and climate change.
- Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians ($331,769) to support infrastructure and computerized control improvement projects to protect drinking water system infrastructure from wildfires.
