Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 awarded $7.98M to the State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management, operating as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program (CFDA 66.458) as of January 1, 2026. This capitalization grant funds low-interest financing delivered to subrecipients for water quality improvement projects focused specifically on emerging contaminants—substances including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and microplastics that pose newly identified or re-emerging risks to human health, aquatic life, and the environment. The award supports activities eligible under Section 603(c) of the Clean Water Act and is structured to capitalize Ohio's revolving loan fund mechanism.

OEPA will deploy the entire $7.98M in additional subsidy funding to protect water quality and public health across Ohio while supporting economic development through job creation. Though the award was initially structured as a Clean Water capitalization grant, the funds will be reprogrammed to Ohio's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Emerging Contaminants program per statutory authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 and subsequent legislation. This approach satisfies legal requirements while enabling the state to direct resources toward emerging contaminants treatment infrastructure across its water systems through December 31, 2026.