The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing more than $227 million in funding for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to improve 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).