The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Tuesday a significant $30.7 million grant funding investment to bolster water quality in small and rural communities nationwide. This support aligns with Administrator Lee Zeldin’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative.
“Small and rural communities are the backbone of our country, and they face unique challenges when it comes to ensuring clean and safe water,” stated EPA Senior Advisor Jessica Kramer. “EPA is committed to assisting small and rural communities with improving water quality, protecting health, bolstering economic opportunities, and protecting water resources. This $30 million in funding for technical assistance will help communities address their unique needs.”
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The funding will be directed towards providing training and technical assistance to address the diverse needs of small public drinking water and wastewater systems.
This includes equipping them to meet and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. Additionally, a portion of the funds will assist private well owners in improving water quality, including vital testing for PFAS contamination.
The investments will also tackle challenges related to onsite wastewater management, such as septic systems.
The EPA anticipates awarding federal grants to the following organizations, pending legal and administrative requirements:
- National Rural Water Association (NRWA): $9 million to support small systems, enhance operator licensing, and conduct troubleshooting to identify performance-affecting factors.
- Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP): $9.9 million to strengthen small systems, including developing lead service line replacement plans and improving cybersecurity. An additional $1.25 million will aid small publicly owned wastewater and on-site/decentralized wastewater systems in improving water quality, and $3.45 million will be allocated to assist private drinking water well owners, including PFAS testing.
- Southwest Environmental Finance Center at the University of New Mexico: $7 million to build small system capabilities, improve operational efficiency, and enhance overall drinking water system performance.
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Leaders from the recipient organizations expressed their gratitude and commitment to the initiative. “NRWA is thankful for the long-standing partnership with EPA in providing vital hands-on grassroots training and technical assistance for addressing the significant water challenges faced by the small and rural communities across our nation,” said Matt Holmes, CEO of the National Rural Water Association.
Olga Morales-Pate, CEO of RCAP, added, “We are honored to collaborate with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to advance initiatives that support rural and tribal communities nationwide. As a recognized national leader in rural water technical assistance, RCAP is uniquely positioned to deliver tailored support to small utilities and private well owners.”
In a complementary move, the EPA is also re-launching the improved Water Infrastructure and Capacity Assessment Tool (Water ICAT). This interactive map serves as a vital resource for federal and state partners, and technical assistance providers, allowing them to identify drinking water and wastewater utilities that could benefit from infrastructure support.
Water ICAT integrates utility information with compliance data, demographic and economic insights, and historical water infrastructure funding data, enabling efficient screening, evaluation, and prioritization of utilities requiring additional assistance.
Since 2012, this grant program has channeled over $170 million in funding to training and technical assistance providers, facilitating crucial support through circuit-rider and multi-state regional programs, on-site visits, and focused efforts to diagnose and resolve operational and compliance challenges.
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