With funding made available through section 1459A of the safe drinking water act (SDWA), as amended by the 2016 water infrastructure improvements for the nation act and the 2018 america's water…

Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $462,782 to the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc. (ITCMI) under the Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreements program (CFDA 66.473) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. ITCMI will update and revise Source Water Protection Plans (SWPPs) for eight Michigan Native American tribes, with a primary focus on natural hazards resilience and their effects on source water and public water systems. The project utilizes current water quality and use data to reassess previous source water assessments, create updated maps using ArcGIS Pro software, and reference the EPA's DWMAP system for plan development and revision.

Key deliverables include collaborative assessment of each participating tribe's current SWPP to identify changes since the last assessment; review of water quality sampling and water use data to determine public water supply susceptibility to contamination; and development of natural hazards resilience strategies in partnership with external entities such as soil and water conservation districts, businesses, and landowners. No sub-awards are included in this assistance agreement. The project aligns with the EPA's federal trust responsibility to support tribal environmental program implementation under the Safe Drinking Water Act as amended by the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and the 2018 America's Water Infrastructure Act.

With funding made available through section 1459A of the safe drinking water act (SDWA), as amended by the 2016 water infrastructure improvements for the nation act and the 2018 america's water infrastructure act, itcmi is committed to helping michigan native american tribes meet SDWA requirements. For this proposed project, itcmi will update and revise eight michigan native american tribes source water protection plans (SWPPS). Throughout this project itcmi will focus on natural hazards and its effects on source water and public water systems. Itcmi will collaboratively construct natural hazards resilience strategies for each tribe in this program.activities:itcmi will update and revise current tribal SWPPS and use the most current water quality and use data to revisit, compare and reassess the previous source water assessment data. Itcmi will update or create new maps to reflect any changes within each tribe's source water protection area. Itcmi will use arcgis pro as a main software for map creation and updating. Itcmi will encourage tribes in this program to partner with outside entities such as soil and water conservation districts, businesses and landowners to help implement improvements to a source water. Itcmi will use and reference and use EPA's dwmap system for updating and revising SWPPS.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:output one: itcmi will work with each participating tribe's environmental department and water department to assess each tribe's current swpp and determine what, if any, changes have occurred since the last assessment was completed. Output two: itcmi will review water quality sampling and water use data that has been collected since the last source water assessment. Itcmi will review any changes in water chemistry or changes to the public water system, reevaluate the previous assessment and determine the susceptibility of each tribe's public water supply to contamination and availability. The following criteria will be used to evaluate susceptibility: geologic protection of the groundwater, well construction, water chemistry and isotope data, and isolation from known or potential sources of contamination. Output three: itcmi will follow US EPA resources to determine the effects of natural hazards on each tribe's source water system. Collaborative work will be conducted with each tribe's environmental department and water department to discuss any possible natural hazard effects on the system and devise a plan to improve resiliency of the system using best management practices. Output four: if there have been any changes to the source water protection boundaries of participating tribes, itcmi will properly determine delineation for groundwater and watersheds. Output five: itcmi will evaluate each tribal swpp's strategies for eliminating or reducing potential contaminants from the drinking water sources and revise if necessary. Output six: itcmi will create updated maps of the source water protection area and will reflect any changes within the area. Maps will be created using arcgis software. Output seven: itcmi will evaluate contingency planning elements such as hazardous spills, emergencies, contamination, and water system failure and if there is increase in demand. Contingency planning elements will be revised if necessary. Output eight: itcmi will work with the staff of each participating tribe to assemble a formal package to send to the appropriate tribal entity (e.g. tribal council) for approval. The formal package will include any changes to the safety of the water system and a draft of the revised swpp. Itcmi will encourage participating tribes to provide open transparency to the public. Output nine: itcmi will collaborate with technical assistance providers (TAP) providers such as indian health services (IHS) and great lakes community action partnership (GLCAP). Itcmi and TAP P