Announcement of Calculation of Tentative FY2005 Allotments for
the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set-Aside Program
(DWIG TSA)
1. What is the DWIG TSA Grant Program?
The Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set-Aside (DWIG
TSA) Program provides grant funds to improve the infrastructure
of drinking water systems that serve Indian Tribes. It is a component
of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. [see the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA) §1452(i) and §1452(a)(2)]
2. Who is eligible to receive grant from the program?
Any federally recognized Indian Tribe is eligible to receive a
grant. The State of Alaska is also eligible to receive funds for
projects for Alaska Tribes. Tribes may also request that project
funds be directed to the Indian Health Service, if the Tribe would
like the IHS to administer the project and IHS agrees to do so.
3. What type of projects are eligible for funding?
Most projects that improve a Tribal community, or non-profit non-community,
drinking water system are eligible to be funded with DWIG TSA grants.
Some examples are projects to: rehabilitate or develop sources of
drinking water; install or upgrade treatment facilities; install
or upgrade storage facilities; install or replace transmission or
distribution pipes; and replace aging water system infrastructure.
Funds can also be used to conduct project feasibility studies, engineering
design work, and project administration.
4. How is the Grant Program
administered?
All available DWIG TSA funds are
allotted, by formula, among EPA's Regional offices. The Regional
offices then identify, rank, select, and make awards for the projects
based on the available funding.
5. How are funds allotted
among the EPA Regional offices?
The funds are allotted, by formula,
among nine of the ten EPA Regional offices (Region 3 does not have
any federally recognized Tribes within its area of coverage). The
formula provides, to each Regional office, a "base" amount that
is 2% of the total annual DWIG TSA set-aside. The remaining funds
are allotted to the Regions based on their percentage share of the
Tribal drinking water system "needs" that are identified in two
different "needs" surveys. The first is EPA's "Drinking Water Infrastructure
Needs Survey" (DWINS) which is conducted every four years - the
second is the Indian Health Service's (IHS) "Sanitation Deficiency
System" which IHS updates annually. Finally, no Region's allotment
shall be less than 95% of its prior year allotment, if sufficient
funds allow.
6. Why are the allotments
called Tentative?
Actual funding is not yet available
for FY2005. That won't occur until EPA receives an appropriation.
These allotments are based on the amount of funding that was requested
in the federal budget for FY2005. They are intended to give EPA's
Regional offices a target amount and assist them with planning their
FY2005 DWIG TSA Programs.
7. Where can I get more information?
Information about the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal
Set-Aside (DWIG TSA) Program, can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/tribes.html.
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