PIERRE, S.D.(Press Release) – On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $248,000 in Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program funding to help South Dakota communities address stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs.

States may now apply for grant assistance to fund projects that will help municipalities strengthen their wastewater and stormwater collection systems against increasingly intense rain events and prevent contaminants from polluting waterways. Thanks to program updates made by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda, the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program will ensure small and financially distressed communities receive grant assistance at no cost.

“Heavy rainfall can flood communities, overload facilities that collect and treat wastewater and contaminate our waterways with sewage and pollution,” said KC Becker, EPA Regional Administrator. “With $248,000 in grant funding, EPA is helping South Dakota address the threat of stormwater inundation in communities that need it most.”

Stormwater management is a complex environmental challenge for communities across the country. The costs to construct, operate and maintain stormwater infrastructure can be significant. This investment follows changes made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to prioritize projects for small and/or financially distressed communities and prevents cost share requirements from being passed on to these communities.

This funding for South Dakota is part of the $50 million in grants that EPA made available nationally. Learn more about the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program.