The Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program (EC-SDC) is a federally funded initiative by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered in Colorado by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The program provides financial assistance to small or disadvantaged communities to mitigate public health risks from emerging contaminants such as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), manganese, and other contaminants in drinking water.

The current application window is open from January 24, 2025, to March 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. MDT. Future Requests for Applications (RFAs) are expected to open twice per year in January and June from 2025 to 2028, subject to available EPA funding.

Eligible applicants include non-transient, non-community, or community-regulated public water systems that meet the disadvantaged community definitions under the Safe Drinking Water Act (Section 1452(d)(3)) and the Colorado Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) criteria.

Grant Tiers
The EC-SDC program offers two types of grants:

Tier 1: Planning and Design Grants

Funds planning, design, and pilot testing projects.
Maximum award: $300,000.
Project duration: Up to 24 months.
Requires submission of a DWRF prequalification form before or as part of the project.
Tier 2: Infrastructure Grants

Funds design and construction of treatment facilities, consolidation infrastructure, new potable water sources, or other infrastructure to address emerging contaminants.
Maximum award: $30 million per project (no more than $10 million per year).
Requires projects to be near-ready with completed DWRF prequalification, project needs assessment, design documents, environmental review, and construction plans.
Note: This grant does not cover assessment monitoring or sampling to determine the scope of contaminants, but separate funding for assessment sampling is available under the PFAS Grant Program.

How to Apply
Eligible entities must submit an application in response to the grant opening announcement.
Future RFAs are anticipated twice per year (January and June) through 2028.
Applications are prioritized based on the criteria outlined in the RFA if funding requests exceed available funds.
For updates, applicants can sign up for CDPHE’s listserv notifications.