- Details
- By Levi Rickert
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday announced that over $278 million in funding to improve access to safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater services has been granted to Indian Country.
The announcement was made at an event at the Lummi Nation in Bellingham, Washington by (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox.
“For too long, Tribes have struggled without access to basic water services—impacting their health and economic well-being. Today’s funding announcement is a generational investment that moves us closer to achieving a future where all Tribes have access to safe drinking water and wastewater services,” Fox said.
The water funds were made possible through the bipartisan infrastructure law. Fox told Native News Online in an interview that President Biden made a commitment to maintain a nation to nation relationship with tribes.
“He's made a commitment of this administration to focus on strengthening the nation to nation relationship with tribes. And that's happened in several ways, including receiving the historic amount of dedicated funding for tribal water for American Indians and Alaska Natives,” Fox said.
The funding will help Tribes and Alaska Native Villages make significant investments in water infrastructure improvements to advance public health protections by improving compliance with existing water regulations, identifying, and replacing lead service lines, and addressing harmful emerging contaminants in drinking water and wastewater, such as per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS).
The funding will be administered through the following programs:
- $64 million in FY 2023 Clean Water Indian Set-Aside (CWISA) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and annual appropriation funds;
- $130.3 million in FY 2023 Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and annual appropriation funds;
- $38.6 million in combined FY 2022 and FY 2023 Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Tribal Grant Program through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds;
- $5.6 million in combined FY 2022 and FY 2023 Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities (SUDC) Tribal Grant Program through annual appropriation funds, and
- $39.6 million in FY 2023 Alaska Rural and Native Villages (ANV) Grant Program through annual appropriation funds.
The EPA works in collaboration with Indian Health Service (IHS) in water management in Indian Country.
Fox said the EPA is focused on providing technical assistance to tribal communities to build their technical, financial, and managerial capacity.
“So we're also investing in a range of technical assistance to support tribal communities to not only access these funds, but also to be able to access state revolving loan fund dollars and other investment vehicles as well,” Fox said.
Earlier this year, EPA released a survey of drinking water needs in Indian Country. The results indicate that in excess of $4 billion is needed over the course of the next 20 years to bring adequate drinking water to Indian Country.
"We know that today's announcement has an important step. But our work won't stop there. We are going to continue to push for additional funding," Fox said.
More Stories Like This
Interior Department Moves to Expand Oil and Gas Development in Alaska’s National Petroleum ReserveFeds Release Final Environmental Impact Statement on Oak Flat Mine
Interior Department Announces Over $119 Million for Abandoned Coal Mine Reclamation
Osage Minerals Council Celebrates the Final Dismissal of Hayes II Litigation
Bad River Chairman: "Line 5 is a daily threat to our clean rivers and lakes, our fish, and our wild rice."
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
