Training and Technical Assistance (TA) Program for Rural, Small, and Tribal Wastewater Systems
On this page:
- Grant Program Overview
- Awards Announced in 2023
- How to Request Technical Assistance
- Historical Funding
Grant Program Overview
The Clean Water Rural, Small, and Tribal Technical Assistance (RST TA) Grant Program was authorized by the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. The program aims to provide technical assistance and training to improve rural, small and tribal wastewater system operations and management practices, making them more sustainable and resilient, and supporting EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment. The program also aims to provide technical assistance in planning, developing and accessing finance and funding for clean water projects under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), including Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds.
The Clean Water RST TA providers main functions include:
- Assisting rural, small, and tribal communities in securing funding they need to to support infrastructure improvements and
- Supporting rural, small, and tribal wastewater treatment systems – centralized and decentralized – build their technical, managerial, and financial capacity to operate their systems well and maintain compliance.
The statutory authority for this grant program is Section 104(b)(8) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Services are available to municipalities and treatment systems nationally in all 50 states, the U.S. territories, and for tribes. Participating communities may receive direct water technical assistance to access funding, maintain regulatory compliance, improve resiliency, and build technical, managerial, and financial capacity (TMF).
Awards Announced in 2023
On June 24, 2022, EPA announced the Request for Applications (RFA) for the “Training and Technical Assistance for Rural, Small and Tribal Municipalities and Wastewater Treatment Systems for Clean Water Act Prevention, Reduction, and Elimination of Pollution” (EPA-OW-OWM-22-02). The period for submitting applications ended on August 22, 2022. Eligible applicants under this competition are public and private nonprofit organizations, subject to CWA 104(w), that are qualified and experienced in providing on-site training and technical assistance to rural, small, and Tribal municipalities and/or small publicly owned treatment works and/or decentralized wastewater treatment systems.
On April 27, 2023, EPA announced the selection of nine organizations to receive a total of $41 million in federal Clean Water RST grant funding. Organizations submitted applications to support five priority areas. The selected recipients for the Rural, Small, and Tribal Wastewater Technical Assistance Grant Program include:
Priority Area 1 - Acquisition of Finance/Funding: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance to rural, small, and/or tribal municipalities for the purpose of assisting such municipalities and tribal governments in the planning, developing, and acquisition of financing and funding for projects and activities that are described under the CWSRF program.
- Alaska Municipal League
- Hudson Valley Regional Council
- Rural Community Assistance Partnership
- Southwest Environmental Finance Center
- Tennessee Water Resources
Priority Area 2 - Protect Water Quality and Compliance Assistance: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance for rural, small, and/or tribal publicly-owned treatment works and/or decentralized wastewater systems to help improve water quality, achieve and maintain compliance, and ensure sustained operations and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems over the long run.
- National Rural Water Association
- New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission
- Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center
- Rural Community Assistance Partnership
- Southwest Environmental Finance Center
Priority Area 3 - Tribal Systems: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance to tribes for planning, developing, and acquisition of financing/funding and also to help improve water quality and achieve and maintain compliance.
- National Rural Water Association
- Rural Community Assistance Partnership
- Southwest Environmental Finance Center
Priority Area 4 - Decentralized Systems: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance for communities that rely on decentralized wastewater treatment systems, specifically to support planning, development, and acquisition of finance.
- Des Moines Area Community College
- National Rural Water Association
- Rural Community Assistance Partnership
Priority Area 5 - Lagoon Systems: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance for communities that use lagoon wastewater treatment systems.
For additional information, refer to the following documents:
- April 27, 2023 News Release
- Training and Technical Assistance RFA
- Frequent Questions for Training and Technical Assistance Grant (pdf)
- RFA Grant Announcement
How to Request Technical Assistance
Communities may request technical assistance support through the EPA’s Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) Request Form.
Once the grants are awarded, communities may also directly contact the RST TA grantees to request training and technical assistance:
- Rural Community Assistance Partnership
- National Rural Water Association
- University of New Mexico – Environmental Finance Center
- Hudson Valley Regional Council
- Tennessee Water Resources
- New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission
- Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center
- Des Moines Area Community College
- Alaska Water Infrastructure Finance Navigation Center
Historical Funding
On September 15, 2021, EPA announced the first grantees under the RST TA program with the selection of $12 million in grant funding to provide training and technical assistance to serve small, rural, and tribal community wastewater systems. This funding is helping improve public health and environmental protection by helping to ensure that wastewater in these communities is safe and treated before being responsibly returned to the environment. Additional information on the inaugural award announcement and recipients can be found below: