Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability Of $30.7M In Grants To Support Water Systems In Small And Rural Communities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of up to $30.7M in grant funding for technical assistance and training to support small drinking water and wastewater systems, including those in rural communities. This grant provides funding to organizations that work side-by-side with water systems by giving them the necessary tools and training to ensure communities have safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment systems.

“Many small drinking water systems face challenges when working to provide reliable and safe drinking water to their communities,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “Funding to support upgrading water infrastructure is central to President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. With this grant funding, the EPA is building on our technical assistance efforts by providing another resource for disadvantaged and often rural communities to gain access to their fair share of federal investment through training and technical assistance.”

Small water systems often face unique financial and operational challenges, including aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, increasing costs and declining rate bases. Many small systems also serve disadvantaged communities with environmental justice concerns. With this action, EPA is investing in small and underserved communities to ensure safe drinking water and wastewater services are provided to those that are most in need.

This grant will also help expand on the agency’s water technical assistance (WaterTA) commitment, which aims to provide a range of assistance to help communities identify solutions for water challenges, from capacity building to helping navigate the federal funding application process and strategically investing in reliable infrastructure solutions.

EPA is seeking applications to fund grant projects that will benefit small and rural communities. Eligible applicants for this competitive agreement are nonprofit organizations, nonprofit private universities and colleges and public institutions of higher education. The application period for these competitive grants is now open.

Questions about applying for EPA funding for training and technical assistance must be received by January 18, 2024, and applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 2, 2024. EPA expects to award these cooperative agreements by summer of 2024 and encourages all eligible organizations who have an interest in these projects to apply.

This grant will be competed through a Request for Application process. The funding opportunity will remain open for 60 days on Grants.gov. For more information on the grant visit EPA’s website on Training and Technical Assistance for Small Systems Funding.

Background
Since 2012, the Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small PWSs to Provide Safe Drinking Water grant program has provided over $170M in funding to technical assistance and training providers. EPA expects to award three to nine cooperative agreements totaling up to $30.7M in federal funds. The purpose of the agreements is to provide training and technical assistance to:

1. Small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA);
2. Small public water systems on a wide range of managerial and/or financial topics to achieve and maintain compliance with the SDWA;
3. Small publicly-owned wastewater systems, communities served by onsite-decentralized wastewater systems to help improve water quality; or
4. Private well owners to help improve water quality.

EPA's free WaterTA services supports communities in states, Tribes and territories with developing solutions to localized water challenges. Learn more about WaterTA services visit EPA’s Water Technical Assistance website.