Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§300j–16 Assistance to Colonias

Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER XII — SAFETY OF PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS › Part E — General Provisions › § 300j–16

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the EPA and other federal agency leaders to give grants to border States to help colonias get safe drinking water. Border States are Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. An eligible community is a low-income colonia along the U.S.-Mexico border (usually unincorporated) that lacks safe drinking water or the facilities to provide it. Grants must help communities where people face a serious health risk from not having an adequate and affordable drinking water system, as decided by the EPA or the agency giving the grant. A grant can pay no more than 50% of a project’s cost. Congress authorized $25,000,000 for each fiscal year 1997, 1998, and 1999.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §300j–16

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Definitions

As used in this section: (1) Border State

(2)Eligible community

The term “eligible community” means a low-income community with economic hardship that—

(A)is commonly referred to as a colonia;

(B)is located along the United States-Mexico border (generally in an unincorporated area); and

(C)lacks a safe drinking water supply or adequate facilities for the provision of safe drinking water for human consumption.

(b)Grants to alleviate health risks

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies are authorized to award grants to a border State to provide assistance to eligible communities to facilitate compliance with national primary drinking water regulations or otherwise significantly further the health protection objectives of this subchapter.

(c)Use of funds

Each grant awarded pursuant to subsection (b) shall be used to provide assistance to one or more eligible communities with respect to which the residents are subject to a significant health risk (as determined by the Administrator or the head of the Federal agency making the grant) attributable to the lack of access to an adequate and affordable drinking water supply system.

(d)Cost sharing

The amount of a grant awarded pursuant to this section shall not exceed 50 percent of the costs of carrying out the project that is the subject of the grant.

(e)Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1997 through 1999.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 300j–16

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110