This action provides funding in the amount of $168,775.00 to the state of south carolina department of environment to carry out its program to maintain, protect, and improve the water quality of its…

Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 awarded $168,775 to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services on January 1, 2026, under the Water Pollution Control State, Interstate, and Tribal Program Support program (CFDA 66.419) to maintain, protect, and improve water quality across the state's rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and other waterbodies.

The award funds statewide ambient water monitoring equipment and supplies, including an in-situ Aqua Troll for continuous monitoring, a freeze dryer for fish sample processing, and supplies for blackwater criteria and periphyton program development. Activities include service plans for in-situ sensors and diatom quality assurance and quality control, nutrient analyses through SCECAP, and staff training in diatom identification, macroinvertebrate identification, and cyanobacteria identification. Travel to regional meetings of the Southern Water Pollution Control Association is included.

Deliverables include a report on periphyton program development activities with data summary, efficient operation and standardized deployment of in-situ sensors across the state, analysis of diatom samples from periphyton sampling, and analysis of additional nutrient samples. The expected outcomes include development of periphyton as a second biological indicator for South Carolina to support nutrient criteria development and guide remediation of impaired waters. The in-situ Aqua Troll will expand ambient monitoring capabilities; the freeze dryer will improve fish sample processing and prevent cross-contamination; and the supplies will support blackwater area criteria development.

Period of performance is January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028, with performance in South Carolina. No subawards are included in this assistance agreement.

This action provides funding in the amount of $168,775.00 to the state of south carolina department of environment to carry out its program to maintain, protect, and improve the water quality of its rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, and other waterbodies. The environmental benefits of this program include preventing degradation of unimpaired waterbodies and reducing the number of impaired waterbodies in the state.activities:activities include new in-situ aqua troll for statewide ambient monitoring, freeze dryer for processing fish samples, supplies for blackwater criteria and periphyton program development. Service plan for in-situ sensors and diatom sample QA/QC, and scecap nutrient analyses. Travel to swpba, diatom identification training, macroinvertebrate training, and cyanobacteria identification training. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include: provide a report of the activities done for periphyton program development, including a data summary. Purchasing and utilizing the equipment and supplies. Operate in-situ sensors efficiently and standardize use across the state, analyze diatom samples from periphyton sampling, and analyze additional nutrient samples for scecap. Operate in-situ sensors efficiently and standardize use across the state, analyze diatom samples from periphyton sampling, and analyze additional nutrient samples for scecap. The expected outcomes include: the development of a periphyton program will provide a second biological indicator for SC. Using periphyton as a second biological indicator will aid in nutrient criteria development across the state and provide insight for impaired waters. The in-situ aqua troll will help increase ambient monitoring capabilities across the state, the freeze dyer will improve fish processing abilities to prevent sample cross contamination, and the supplies will aid towards developing criteria for blackwater areas and increase development for periphyton program sample collection and analysis. Ambient surface water sampling will become more consistent with the same equipment across the state, which the data will be utilized in 303D lists and tmdl development. Additionally, the service plan will aid towards fdom sensor operation, which will be used to determine criteria for blackwater systems. The diatom QA/QC analysis will ensure that our staff are properly identifying diatoms, which will be used in biotic index development as the periphyton program progresses. Scecap nutrient analysis will be important in determining TN and TP in estuaries, since scdes lab methodologies have issues with saltwater interference. The direct beneficiaries of the agreement are the residents of the south carolina.