New $15M Annual Grant Program Targets Arsenic and Nitrate in Drinking Water, Prioritizing Low-Income Communities

If you’ve ever worried about what’s actually coming out of your tap—especially if you live in a rural area or an older neighborhood—this new piece of legislation, the Removing Nitrate and Arsenic in Drinking Water Act, is aimed squarely at those concerns. This bill sets up a new federal grant program, called the Nitrate and Arsenic Reduction Grant Program, specifically to help public water systems clean up two dangerous contaminants: nitrate and arsenic.

The Clean Water Cash Drop

Starting in Fiscal Year 2026, Congress authorized $15 million annually for this program. This isn't a blank check; the money has a very specific purpose: funding projects that can demonstrate they will actually lower nitrate or arsenic levels in drinking water. Who can apply? Primarily the folks who manage your water, like community water systems, schools, factories that run their own systems, qualified non-profits, and local governments. Basically, if you manage a pipe that delivers water to people, you’re in the running, provided you can prove you have a contamination problem and a plan to fix it.

Prioritizing the Problem Spots

The EPA Administrator, who runs this program, isn't just handing out money first-come, first-served. The bill mandates a strict priority list designed to get funds where they are needed most. Top of the list are Disadvantaged Communities—those areas struggling with affordability issues. Next are water systems that have failed compliance with federal limits on nitrate or arsenic in the last three years. This is key: it provides a financial lifeline to systems that are currently failing to meet public health standards. Finally, there's a priority for projects that protect vulnerable groups, especially kids. Think about water systems serving schools and daycares—if they have a contamination issue, they move up the queue.

The Low-Income Lifeline

One of the most practical and impactful provisions concerns how the grant money is used for treatment technology. If the grant is paying for new equipment, the bill requires that the first priority for that assistance must go to helping low-income homeowners and landlords who house low-income renters. For the person renting an apartment or owning a modest home, this means that if their community water system gets a grant, they should be among the first to benefit from the direct installation or subsidization of necessary treatment systems. The catch here is that the definition of “low-income” is left up to the state Governor, using existing state affordability criteria, which could lead to different standards depending on which state you live in.

The Real-World Impact

For most people, the immediate benefit is a potential reduction in health risks. Arsenic and nitrate contamination are serious public health issues, linked to everything from cancer (arsenic) to serious risks for infants (nitrate). For a small, struggling town whose water system hasn't been able to afford the multi-million dollar upgrade needed to comply with regulations, this grant could be the difference between dangerous water and safe water. The focus on disadvantaged communities means that this funding is aimed at closing the public health gap that often leaves lower-income and rural areas behind. The law also requires the EPA to review the program for equity, ensuring the money is truly reaching underserved populations—a good piece of accountability for a federal program.