Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant

Public Water Suppliers may be eligible for grant funding to address emerging contaminants in drinking water for small and/or disadvantaged communities.

Information on qualifying for an EC-SDC Grant through MassDEP

Background

Many public water suppliers (PWS) in Massachusetts have detected elevated levels of PFAS and other emerging contaminants (EC) in their drinking water sources. On February 13, 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced the availability of the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant (EC-SDC). This program provides states with grant funds to assist small and/or disadvantaged communities to improve their drinking water by carrying out projects and activities to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS. Emerging contaminants are those included on EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists (see https://www.epa.gov/ccl).

EPA allotted $38,204,000 in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 to Massachusetts from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law EC-SDC grant program and will be receiving additional funding in fiscal years 2024-2026. Grants will be awarded starting in 2024. The projects awarded through this grant program will benefit small or disadvantaged communities as defined by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) §1459A(c). MassDEP is using the first two years of this funding to carry out the following activities:

1. Provide grant funding to PWS and/or communities to plan, design and construct long-term solutions to address emerging contaminants.
2. Implement outreach and education programs to inform the consumers, PWS owners and operators, and the general public in small or disadvantaged communities about emerging contaminants.
3. Provide laboratory analyses of emerging contaminants to PWS in small or disadvantaged communities through increased capacity of the MassDEP state laboratory, and through commercial laboratory testing.
4. Use a mobile testing laboratory for testing of emerging contaminant treatment technologies and technical guidance.

Eligible Public Water Suppliers (PWS)

A PWS may be eligible for EC-SDC grant funding if the PWS has a project to address an emerging contaminant and meets one of the following criteria below:

• The PWS must be a Community PWS (publicly- or privately-owned) or a non-profit non-community (Transient Non-Community (TNC) or Non-Transient Non-Community (NTNC)) water systems and,
  • The PWS must be located in a disadvantaged community (as defined by the  Clean Water Trust’s Disadvantaged Community Program) and/or
  • The PWS must be small (serving less than 10,000 population)
    • Please Note: Small PWS that are NOT located in a disadvantaged community, as defined by the Clean Water Trust, may be considered if they can demonstrate either or both of the following:
      • The consumers benefitting from the project are disadvantaged.
      • The PWS lacks capacity to incur debt sufficient to finance the project or activity.

Special Eligibility Cases:

There are two special eligibility cases, one in which a for-profit TNC or NTNC or a medium or large Community PWS (that does not meet the definition of a small or disadvantaged PWS) may be able to receive grant funding. The other is for households with private wells.

1. For-profit (not tax exempt) non-community water systems and medium/large Community PWS are not eligible for the grant unless the project meets one of the special eligibility cases described below. 
   • The project will consolidate or interconnect for-profit TNC/NTNC system(s) with a Community PWS. The Community PWS must be the grantee, and one of the following two criteria must be met:
     • The Community PWS meets the definition of a small and/or disadvantaged system; or
     • The Community PWS does not meet the definition of a small and/or disadvantaged system, but the for-profit TNC/NTNC meets the definition of a disadvantaged system.  
2. EC-SDC grant funding may be available to connect households with private wells to a Community PWS (including the water main and the service connections to the houses). The Community PWS must meet the definition of small and/or disadvantaged and the Community PWS must be the grantee.

Eligible Projects

EPA has detailed several categories of projects eligible for an EC-SDC grants in Appendix C and D of its Implementation Manual.  Categories include the following:

1. Research and Testing
2. Planning and Design to Address Emerging Contaminant(s)
3. Treatment of Emerging Contaminant(s)
4. Source Water Activities Related to Emerging Contaminant(s)
5. Storage
6. Water System Restructuring, Interconnection, Consolidation, or Creation
7. Providing Households Access to Drinking Water Services (only PWS, not homeowners, are eligible to receive a grant)
8. Technical Assistance
9. Public Communication, Engagement, and Education
10. Workforce Development

Project Review and Grant Awarding

PWS who believe they may be eligible for EC-SDC grant funding should complete a needs assessment survey form and submit to MassDEP’s Drinking Water Program (DWP) at [e-mail] (Subject: EC-SDC Grant, PWSID #).  The EC-SDC grant is a noncompetitive grant. However, all projects will be reviewed by MassDEP and EPA on an individual basis. For additional information on EPA’s requirements for EC-SDC grant funding, please review the EPA EC-SDC Implementation Manual Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program: Grant Implementation Document (epa.gov).

Projects that are not determined to be eligible for EC-SDC funds will be provided technical assistance to address emerging contaminants and referred to other opportunities for funding including the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program. 

Additional Resources

EPA Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Webpage

EPA EC-SDC Grant Implementation Manual

EPA Water Technical Assistance Programs

MassDEP SRF Program

MassDEP Water Resources Grants and Financial Assistance

Instructional Video for completing a EC-SDC Grant Scope of Work (short form)

EC-SDC Grant Contract Intake Form Guidance

EC-SDC Grant Needs Assessment Survey Form