21 May EPA Announces Over $9 Million for Kansas to Address PFAS in Drinking Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $9,457,000 million in new Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant funding to address PFAS and emerging contaminants in Kansas communities.
This new funding is part of a comprehensive, lifecycle-based strategy to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
“EPA is dedicated to helping all Americans access safe drinking water,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy. “Targeted funding for communities that need assistance the most accelerates practical solutions that protect public health.”
The EC-SDC grant program is a $1 billion national investment that helps communities address PFAS and other emerging contaminants. In Kansas, $9,457,000 is available for communities, drinking water systems, and private well owners to help with testing, planning, and infrastructure projects addressing PFAS and other emerging contaminants included on EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists (e.g., manganese, perchlorate, 1,4‑dioxane).
With this grant allotment, the agency has made $5 billion in EC-SDC funding available through this program over five years. More than $6.5 billion in low-interest financing is currently available through EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Loan program, which can also be used to address PFAS.
Additionally, EPA’s new PFAS OUTreach—or PFAS OUT—initiative is accelerating progress in addressing PFAS in drinking water. This new program proactively works with communities and water systems to reduce exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water. Recognizing that small, rural, and disadvantaged water systems often have fewer resources, PFAS OUT is specifically designed to ensure these communities are not left behind. PFAS OUT will help every drinking water system dealing with PFOA or PFOS to effectively understand the challenge and reduce exposure as soon as possible while positioning them for successful compliance with enforceable drinking water standards.