The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will use $90 million in grant funding to develop and revitalize drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that supports Tribal communities and rural America.
EPA will invest $30 million in partnership with the Indian Health Service to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects that benefit Tribes. These projects will advance key water infrastructure needs, such as increasing access to centralized drinking water and wastewater treatment, improving and repairing aged drinking water infrastructure, improving compliance by reducing contaminants in drinking water, and replacing deteriorated sewage collection systems and wastewater treatment systems.
The agency also will invest $60 million in existing EPA programs that support small, rural, and Tribal communities, including RealWaterTA. "RealWaterTA is a back-to-basics approach supporting drinking water and wastewater systems using proven best-practice approaches that will most effectively address local needs," EPA said.
Additional details are available on EPA's website.
The agency recently issued a call to action to align all technical assistance for drinking water and wastewater systems with tried-and-true services, such as engineering and design expertise, operational support, workforce development, and financial management. The goals of RealWaterTA focus on public health and compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act.
In 2025 alone, EPA announced nearly $300 million to improve drinking water and wastewater in these communities, including:
• $240 million to improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure through the Clean Water Indian Set Aside and Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants.
• $49 million for technical support for small, rural and Tribal communities working to make wastewater infrastructure improvements.
• $3 million for three projects to reduce lead in drinking water in Tribal communities.
• $1 million in grant funding for Tribes to develop underground injection control programs that protect sources of drinking water while supporting industry and energy projects.
