This action approves an award in the amount of $29,741,000 to the florida department of environmental protection

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 awarded a $29,741,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (CFDA 66.468) capitalization grant to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The purpose of this grant is to provide funding for the recipient's DWSRF program to address emerging contaminants in drinking water, with a focus on projects targeting perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The grant will enable the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to capitalize the DWSRF, which can then be used to increase the technical, financial, and managerial capacity of public water systems and fund infrastructure improvements to provide a cleaner and safer potable water supply statewide. The award date is July 1, 2023, and the completion date is June 30, 2028.

The grant includes sub-awards to local governments in Florida, such as the Town of Belleair, the City of Sanford, and the City of Pompano Beach, to conduct planning, design, and evaluation activities for water treatment plant upgrades and alternative technologies to address emerging contaminants like 1,4-dioxane and PFAS.

The purpose of this agreement is for a capitalization grant which provides funds for the recipient's drinking water state revolving fund (dwsrf) program with the primary purpose to address emerging contaminants in drinking water with a focus on projects addressing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Emerging contaminants refer to substances and microorganisms, including manufactured or naturally occurring physical, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials, which are known or anticipated in the environment, that may pose newly identified or RE-emerging risks to human health, aquatic life, or the environment. These substances, microorganisms or materials can include many different types of natural or manufactured chemicals and substances - such as those in some compounds of personal care products, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and microplastics. Activities:section 1452 of the safe drinking water act (sdwa) authorizes the state to utilize funds to further the health protection objectives of sdwa. The state has submitted an intended use plan (IUP) as part of the application package for this capitalization grant this IUP contains a list of the capital projects that address emerging contaminants that may receive funding from this grant. The recipient may also use some of the funding for specific 'set-asides' to provide technical assistance to small systems, program administration, state program management and other allowable uses. Subrecipient:subawards will be made for activities such as administering loans for projects, providing technical assistance to small systems, program administration, and state program management.outcomes:the benefits of this grant will be to capitalize the recipient's dwsrf with primary purpose to address emerging contaminants in drinking water with a focus on projects addressing PFAS. The fund can then be used to increase technical, financial and managerial capacity of public water systems, and provide assurance of a cleaner and safer potable water supply by funding improvements to multiple water infrastructure projects. These public health benefits will be statewide.