U.S. EPA announces $49 million in technical assistance to help rural, small, and tribal communities address wastewater challenges
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 25, 2024, the availability of $49 million in new technical assistance funding to help rural, small and Tribal communities address critical wastewater and water quality challenges.
The new funding will be awarded to technical assistance providers who will help communities identify their wastewater infrastructure needs and guide them toward appropriate funding options.
Many rural, small and Tribal systems face unique financial and operational challenges, including aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, increasing costs, and declining rate bases.
EPA’s grant funding will be used to assess the most pressing water challenges in communities, provide training on water infrastructure and management best practices, help communities navigate the federal funding application process and strategically invest in reliable infrastructure solutions.
The Rural, Small and Tribal Assistance providers are important in helping ensure that these communities receive help accessing resources to support infrastructure improvements.
These providers can provide direct support to help build technical, managerial and financial capacity to operate centralized and decentralized wastewater management systems.
EPA’s notice of funding availability identifies four priorities for this funding:
- Acquisition of financing and funding: These applicants will help rural, small and Tribal communities plan for and access funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
- 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.
EPA is accepting applications until November 25, 2024.