EPA Announces $1 Million in Funding to Reduce Lead in Tribal Drinking Water

EPA Announces $1 Million in Funding to Reduce Lead in Tribal Drinking Water

July 1, 2026

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced grant funding totaling $1 million for two projects to reduce lead in drinking water in Tribal communities. This funding reaffirms the Trump EPA's commitment to the agency's Indian Policy and partnering with Tribes to address the presence of lead and make drinking water safe.

"The Trump EPA is committed to working in partnership with Tribes to protect human health and reduce childhood exposure to lead in drinking water," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer."This grant funding will help the Tohono O'odham Nation take real action to protect their communities and reduce exposure to lead by upgrading drinking water storage tanks."

The two projects announced today are funded under the Safe Drinking Water Act's Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Tribal Grant Program. The projects will help reduce lead exposure in the Tribal communities of Comobabi and Kaka, both in the Tohono O'odham Nation. The projects will replace existing drinking water storage tanks that have lead components. Replacing these tanks will make a real difference in helping reduce the possibility of exposure to lead in these communities.

EPA will provide funding to these projects via interagency agreements with the Indian Health Service (IHS). Through strong partnerships with IHS, EPA's lead reduction investments can improve public health in Tribal communities while implementing cooperative federalism. EPA anticipates awarding the federal grants after legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.

EPA remains committed to its strong partnerships with Tribal governments and implementing EPA's Indian Policy. This year, EPA has made $156 million in grant funding available to improve drinking water infrastructure for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages.

The Trump EPA is tackling the lead issue like never before. EPA recently published a revamped lead website, found at epa.gov/lead, including a new StoryMap about Lead and Children's Health. The streamlined website allows parents and caregivers, contractors, health care professionals, and other users to quickly find critical information on how to prevent exposures from lead. This is one of many actions being undertaken by EPA under the government-wide Federal Lead Action Plan, which was launched in President Trump's first term as a blueprint for reducing lead exposure through collaboration among federal agencies. 

Background

On July 17, 2026, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin reaffirmed the EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations (EPA Indian Policy), which contains nine fundamental principles to guide EPA's work with Tribes.

The Safe Drinking Water Act's Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Grant Program addresses, supports, and improves America's water resources infrastructure. The projects address conditions that contribute to increased concentrations of lead in drinking water. EPA awards approximately $20 million through this program each fiscal year, with $1 million going to Tribal water systems to reduce lead in drinking water annually. To date, more than $8.1 million in Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Tribal Grant Program funding has been made available.

Learn more about EPA's Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Tribal Grant Program.

Learn more about Clean and Safe Water in Indian Country.