Training and Technical Assistance for Small Systems Funding
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Background
The Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small PWSs to Provide Safe Drinking Water grant program, hereby referred to as the “grant program”, aids small public water systems (PWSs) in operating and maintaining their systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The grant program serves two main functions for small PWSs:
- To build their financial and managerial capacity to provide safe drinking water over the long term.
- To improve water quality and sustainable operations.
The grant program also assists small publicly owned wastewater systems in promoting sustainable and effective management of wastewater systems and improving system performance. Lastly, the grant program assists private well owners by providing the information they need to protect their drinking water supply and improve water quality. These services are vital for the drinking water systems, wastewater systems, and private well owners who the grant program serves.
Across the nation, state and local officials are challenged with effectively communicating information and overseeing training for small system owners and operators with a wide range of expertise, skills, and preferences for modes of communication. Through the grant program, EPA provides information, training and technical assistance to officials and small system personnel so that they may deliver high quality drinking water to their customers.
Most Recent Funding Cycle
On Monday, December 4, 2023, the fiscal year 2023 grant cycle was announced. Applications were accepted through February 2, 2024. The program continues to focus on training and technical assistance provisions to water and wastewater system staff and private well owners. These provisions support operational and managerial practices that continue efforts to protect public health and promote sustainability in small communities.
On May 21, 2024, EPA announced the selection of $30.7 million in grant funding to provide training and technical assistance to small drinking water and wastewater systems that often serve small communities and rural America. This funding will improve public health and environmental protection by helping to ensure that drinking water in these communities is safe and that wastewater is treated before being responsibly returned to the environment.
This technical assistance may include circuit-rider and multi-state regional technical assistance programs, training and site visits, and training or technical assistance to diagnose and trouble-shoot system operational and compliance-related problems and identify solutions. Please see here for the press release.
The selected recipients are:
Rural Community Assistance Partnership
- $13 million to provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, including assisting communities in conducting lead service line inventories and providing training on cyber-security.
- $3.4 million to work with private well owners to help improve water quality including testing for PFAS contamination.
University of New Mexico
- $5,000,000 to provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, including improving financial and managerial capacity.
- $1,250,000 to work with small publicly owned wastewater and on-site/decentralized wastewater systems to improve water quality.
National Rural Water Association
- $7.9 million to provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, including improving financial and managerial capacity and assisting systems in identifying and responding to potential cybersecurity threats.
Program Implementation
Based on annual appropriations the agency competes awards to provide training and technical assistance to small systems. Historically this has been competed to a range of applicants including nonprofit organizations, nonprofit private universities and colleges, and public institutions of higher education.
The funding helps provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems, small publicly owned wastewater systems, communities served by onsite/decentralized wastewater systems, and private drinking water well owners. Training and technical assistance supports small public water systems in operating and maintaining their systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); building their financial and managerial capacity to provide safe drinking water over the long term; ensuring sustainable operations; and improving water quality.
Visit here for historical funding information.
For additional information contact: [email protected]
News
April 10, 2024 - The EPA announces historic final PFAS rule. Click here for News Release.
April 20, 2024 - The EPA announces FY24 EC-SDC Allotments. Click here to view Allotment Memo.