EPA invests $41M in technical assistance for communities’ wastewater challenges

The U.S. EPA announced that it is investing $41 million in new technical assistance funding to help rural, small, and Tribal communities address urgent wastewater challenges.

EPA awarded the funding, under America’s Water Infrastructure Act, to nine technical assistance providers across the country to help communities assess water needs, identify solutions, and access funding from federal programs.

“Every person in every community deserves to have effective and dependable wastewater services,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “That’s why we are thrilled to invest $41 million in technical assistance for underserved small, rural, and Tribal communities that often lack this necessity. This is another way EPA is working to change the odds for disadvantaged communities and support investments in essential water infrastructure.”

Communities can request assistance by visiting the agency’s Water Technical Assistance webpage.

The Rural, Small, and Tribal Technical Assistance providers serve an important role in helping to ensure that rural, small, and Tribal communities that have difficulty in securing public funding receive the help they need to access resources to support infrastructure improvements. These providers also support rural, small, and Tribal wastewater treatment systems — centralized and decentralized — to build technical, managerial, and financial capacity to operate their systems well and maintain compliance.

“Helping rural, small, and tribal communities is the mission of the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), and we are thrilled EPA is expanding technical assistance nationally to meet critical wastewater needs,” said NRWA CEO Matthew Holmes. “Since 1977, NRWA has partnered with EPA to provide on-the-ground, direct assistance to small and rural communities. Today’s announcement substantially expands this assistance to include more underserved residents than ever, in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. We look forward to continuing our partnership with EPA, and applaud their commitment to ensure rural, small, and tribal systems receive the resources and support they need.”

The selected recipients for the Rural, Small, and Tribal Wastewater Technical Assistance Grant Program are spread across five priority areas:

Acquisition of Financing and Funding

These applicants will help rural, small, and Tribal communities plan for and access funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and other sources.

Protection of Water Quality and Compliance Assistance

This funding will help rural, small, and Tribal communities improve their technical, managerial, and financial capacity and maintain compliance.

Tribal Wastewater Systems

This area provides training and technical assistance to tribes across all areas of their Clean Water Infrastructure.

Decentralized Wastewater Systems

More than one in five households in the United States rely on septic systems and other decentralized systems, and this priority area focuses on assistance to those communities.

Lagoon Wastewater Systems

EPA estimates that lagoon wastewater treatment systems comprise about one-quarter of the wastewater treatment utility systems in the country; the funding will assist lagoon systems in improving water quality and achieving and maintaining compliance.