Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata announced on Mar. 26 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded more than $30 million in federal funding to the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) for several water infrastructure projects. The cooperative agreement will provide a total of $30,706,273, with $800,000 allocated for the EPA to develop a Waste and Wastewater Asset Management System and about $29.9 million remaining for other planned improvements.
The announcement highlights the importance of updating water systems to ensure safer and more reliable services in American Samoa. According to Congresswoman Amata, “This is excellent news! Congratulations to Governor Pulaali’i, Lt. Governor Pulu, and especially the entire team at ASPA, and anyone who worked on this planning at any prior stage. I know these priority projects will benefit our people, water infrastructure, and the quality of services. Thank you to EPA for this support which can make a difference in American Samoa, providing safer water for many years to come.”
The funds are authorized through major legislation including the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act—both marking fifty years of bipartisan support in 2024—as well as newer laws such as the Omnibus Territory Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), which was signed into law on Nov. 15, 2021.
This year’s grant will support various upgrades such as tank installation and replacement, replacing old or leaking waterlines, rehabilitating or replacing sewer lift stations, extending sewer systems, setting up Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems for drinking water management across satellite locations, upgrading wells and booster stations, introducing new treatment systems for drinking water quality improvement as well as asset management enhancements.
Projects were selected from an EPA-approved priority list but may change based on ongoing assessments related to public health protection needs or environmental concerns. The primary goals include reducing leaks by replacing aging mains; improving treatment processes; lowering maintenance costs; increasing asset longevity; managing resources efficiently; all aimed at protecting community health now and into future generations.
