Emergency community water asst. Grant - appropriated(ecwag-a) - 150,000 limit

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarded Spirit Lake Tribe a $150,000 Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG, CFDA 10.763) on September 17, 2025, with a completion deadline of September 17, 2027. This Project Grant supports the Tribe's efforts to address documented declines in water quantity or quality affecting the Fort Totten, North Dakota service area. The ECWAG program provides federal funding to rural communities with populations under 10,000 that have experienced significant water crises, with eligible projects prioritized for serving areas where private wells have sustained quantity declines or where acute water quality shortages require remediation.

Under this award, Spirit Lake Tribe will undertake water infrastructure improvements designed to ensure adequate water supply and quality for reservation residents. As a federally recognized Native American tribal government and eligible ECWAG recipient, the Tribe will utilize the $150,000 federal allocation alongside required nonfederal matching contributions to plan, develop, or implement water system enhancements. The award represents one of a declining number of ECWAG grants distributed nationally—the program obligated $251.2 million across 770 total awards since 2001, though recent annual award volume has contracted significantly.