This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of rhode island (RI) to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl…

This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of rhode island (RI) to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and emerging contaminant challenges; target resources to communities most in need of assistance to ensure that no community is left behind with unsafe, inadequate water; and advance the priorities of equity and environmental justice. The state of rhode island (with the use of this award funding) will implement projects in phases: phase 1 is to assist rhode island elementary, middle, high schools, and childcare centers that have both historic (2017AND2019) and current (2022-present) exceedances of the state standard of 20PPT as well as exceedances of the EPA proposed maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 4PPT for perfluorooctanoic acid (pfoa) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (pfos) to install treatment. Phase 1 also involves the state mandated investigation of total PFAS in drinking water supplies. Phase 2 includes assisting the university of rhode island with the implementation of treatment for both historic and current exceedances of the state of RI 20 PPT standard as well as epas proposed 4 PPT MCL for pfoa and pfos. Phase 3 of the proposed project is to assist additional community and non-community non transient systems that exceed as public water systems (PWS) in RI approach the date for compliance and more current data can be evaluated. Phase 3 will involve source water assessment in watersheds within health equity zones to reduce sources of PFAS that affect the quality of water in these watersheds. Activities:the activities include projects and activities to address emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities, including but not limited to research and testing; planning and design to address emerging contaminates; treatment of emerging contaminants; source water activities related to emerging contaminants; storage; water system restructuring; providing households access to drinking water services; technical assistance; outreach and education; and workforce or training support to public water systems in addressing emerging contaminants. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:this agreement is to an eligible state or territory to implement a program to provide assistance to address emerging contaminants in drinking water to small or disadvantaged communities. Funds are to carry out projects and activities needed for public water systems to comply with the safe drinking water act, programs to provide household water quality testing, activities for a state to respond to a drinking water contaminants, and activities that benefit the impacted communities. The anticipated deliverables include the following: - treating PFAS in drinking water in RI public schools and childcare centers and the investigation of total PFAS in all RI public water systems; - providing grant funds to disadvantaged communities with PFAS exceedance - university of rhode island - west kingston, RI; and - addressing the data gaps from 2017 and 2019 to present day to assess the needs of treatment. The expected outcomes include the following: - decrease in the number of public water systems (PWS) serving small or disadvantaged communities that have elevated levels of PFAS; - increase in the number of PWS serving small or disadvantaged communities where treatment for emerging contaminants (EC) has been installed; - number of population served where treatment for EC has been installed; - number of treatment technologies installed at PWS; - number of population served in a disadvantaged community where treatment for EC has been installed; - increase in community engagement in small or disadvantaged communities; and - number of community outreach resources created for small or disadvantaged