EPA Announces $227 Million in Funding for Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to Improve Water Infrastructure
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing more than $227 million in funding for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to improve drinking water and wastewater services. These resources will provide Tribal communities with assistance they need to better protect the health of both their citizens and environment.
“Working closely with our Tribal partners is a cornerstone of our Indian Policy, commitment to cooperative federalism and work to protect human health,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. “These resources are essential to helping Tribes manage and upgrade water infrastructure and ensure clean, safe drinking water and wastewater services.”
This funding will help Tribal communities access safe and reliable drinking water and will help them protect their environment from wastewater discharges. Federally recognized Tribes can use these funds to advance public health protections by making necessary investments in water infrastructure, which can help support compliance with Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and address important public health challenges such as removing lead pipes or addressing per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
The FY 2026 funding will be administered through the following programs:
- $71 million: Clean Water Indian Set-Aside (CWISA), including $4.5 million for CWISA Emerging Contaminants (CWISA-EC)
- $134 million: Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants
- $19 million: Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Tribal Grant Program
- $3 million: Small, Rural, and Tribal (SmaRT) Drinking Water Assistance Grant Program (formerly known as the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities (SUDC) Tribal Grant Program)
Learn more about EPA’s Tribal Water program.
Learn more about EPA's Tribal Drinking Water Funding Programs.
Learn more about EPA's Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Program.
Background
The Clean Water Indian Set-Aside (CWISA) program provides funding for wastewater infrastructure to American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. The CWISA program was established under the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA). Funds may be used for planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant facilities that serve federally recognized Tribes.
The Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set-Aside was established under the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, which authorized EPA to reserve a portion of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund appropriations to fund drinking water infrastructure improvements for Tribal communities. Since its inception, the DWIG-TSA program has contributed funding for infrastructure upgrades and capital improvement projects as well as operator training and certification programs.
The state and territorial funding for these funding programs have already been alloted:
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
Clean Water State Revolving fund (CWSRF)
Emerging Contaminant- Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC)
Small, Rural and Tribal Drinking Water Assistance Grant Program (SmaRT)