Federal Grant Award Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 awarded the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) a formula grant of $2.178 million under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program (CFDA 66.458), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2032. Under this award, SCDES will capitalize a dedicated revolving loan fund to provide low-interest financing to water utilities and local government entities throughout South Carolina for water quality improvement projects, with a specific emphasis on emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial chemicals. The funds will be initially awarded as Clean Water SRF capitalization, then reprogrammed and transferred to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) per statutory authority and South Carolina's formal request, to ensure optimal alignment with state priorities for addressing emerging contaminants in drinking water systems.

The primary deliverables under this award include the financing of planning, design, and construction of eligible water infrastructure projects that address emerging contaminant contamination. SCDES will administer these funds as additional subsidies to reduce borrowing costs for subrecipients, thereby facilitating water quality protection and public health improvements across the state while supporting economic activity through job creation in the water infrastructure sector. No federal subawards are included in this assistance agreement, as SCDES will directly manage the revolving loan program and provide financing to eligible water system recipients.