Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA)
What is Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) WaterTA?
The presence of emerging contaminants and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water poses risks to public health in communities nationwide. The objective of the EPA’s Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) is to support small or disadvantaged communities assess and address emerging contaminants and PFAS in drinking water, help connect more communities to historic federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and help communities to comply with the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. The EPA is offering this no-cost service to support communities with diagnostic water quality sampling and analysis, source water assessment, preliminary treatment design and evaluations, and identifying solutions to address emerging contaminant and PFAS contamination.
TEC aims to further administration of the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant program by delivering direct, community centered technical assistance to address emerging contaminants and PFAS in small and/or disadvantaged communities. TEC WaterTA will help communities access and utilize EC-SDC grant funding.
What kind of actions will the TEC Initiative support?
TEC WaterTA assists small or disadvantaged communities nationwide to assess and address emerging contaminants and PFAS challenges in their public water system. The initiative offers no-cost services to help water systems develop:
- Sampling and analysis activities, including initial diagnostic monitoring, sampling plans, laboratory analyses, and water quality evaluation reports.
- Technical plans, including alternatives analysis, preliminary engineering reports, and source water contaminant identification, mitigation evaluations and plans.
- Implementation support/funding deliverables, including identifying funding options and preparation of funding application materials such as cost estimates or preliminary engineering reports.
- Operational training support, including sampling training, operator training for new treatment systems, operation manuals, and standard operating procedures.
- Community engagement plans, including developing outreach and engagement strategies in collaboration with the water system, identifying community-based partners and stakeholders, identifying and hosting public events and other opportunities to engage with and solicit feedback from community members, and sharing relevant and accessible information with the public.
In addition to providing direct support to communities that helps build water system capacity, TEC WaterTA will produce, fact sheets, case studies, webinars, and other resources to share best practices and amplify successes, increasing the impact of this initiative. The TEC WaterTA Initiative offers services that help build capacity for a community to apply for funding; it does not provide direct funding.
Which communities are eligible for support from the TEC Initiative?
To receive TEC WaterTA, communities must meet EC-SDC eligibility requirements. TEC WaterTA aims to assist small or disadvantaged communities nationwide. A community is considered ‘small or disadvantaged’ when it meets at least one of the following criteria:
- “Disadvantaged Community” is one determined by the state to be disadvantaged under the affordability criteria established by the state under section 1452(d)(3) of the Safe Drinking Water Act or may become a disadvantaged community as a result of carrying out a project or activity under the grant program.
- “Small Community” is one that had a population of less than 10,000 individuals and lacks the capacity to incur debt sufficient to finance a project or activity.
How can my community request to participate in the TEC Initiative?
Communities that need assistance with addressing emerging contaminants and PFAS can submit a request for support through the EPA's WaterTA request form. Communities will be accepted on a rolling basis. There is no deadline to submit a request for WaterTA.
Click here to submit a WaterTA request!
Additional resources
- TEC Fact Sheet (pdf) (146.39 KB, November 2024, 810-F-24-043)
- TEC FAQs (pdf) (156.53 KB, November 2024, EPA 810-F-24-042)
What is WaterTA?
The EPA's free Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) services support communities to identify drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater challenges, develop plans, build capacity, and develop application materials to access water infrastructure funding.
- Learn more at www.epa.gov/WaterTA
- Join the EPA's Water Infrastructure & Resiliency Finance Center email list for WaterTA updates
- Email questions to [email protected]