This agreement provides funding to the louisiana division of administration to assist an underserved community to meet and comply with safe drinking water act (SDWA) drinking water regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 awarded $1.2 million to the Louisiana Division of Administration on August 1, 2025, under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Small and Underserved Communities Emerging Contaminants Grant Program (CFDA 66.442). The award supports drinking water infrastructure improvements for Blackwood Village, an underserved community, to achieve compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulations. The Louisiana Division of Administration serves as the primary grant recipient and will subaward funds to construct a water treatment facility incorporating granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment technology at the primary station to address disinfectants and disinfection byproducts (DBPs), along with installation of new flow meters at each well. The project is scheduled for completion by August 31, 2028.

The anticipated outcomes include the development of a fully operational treatment facility that will restore public water system compliance with national drinking water regulations, enhance technical and managerial capabilities of the water system serving Blackwood Village residents, and ensure provision of safe drinking water to the community. This award aligns with the broader EPA initiative to address emerging contaminants and water infrastructure deficiencies in small and disadvantaged communities across the nation, which has obligated $3.06 billion across 272 awards since 2019.

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, and activities for a state to respond to a drinking water contaminant. Activities:the activities to be performed include the construction of a treatment facility, which involves granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment at its primary station for disinfectants and disinfection byproduct (DBP) remediation and installing new flow meters at each well.subrecipient:this subaward will be used to construct a treatment facility and related activities for backwood village.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include the development of a treatment facility. The expected outcomes include an increase in number of public water systems returning to compliance with national drinking water regulations, enhanced technical, managerial, and financial capability of public water systems in small and disadvantaged communities, and an increase in public water systems in small and disadvantaged communities providing residents with safe drinking water. The intended beneficiaries include residents of blackwood village.