EPA allotting $49 million for wastewater assistance in rural and tribal communities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $49 million in new funding for technical assistance that supports rural, small and tribal (RST) communities in tackling crucial wastewater and water-quality issues. Funds will go to providers that assist communities in assessing their infrastructure needs and directing them to suitable funding opportunities.

“Our nation’s water infrastructure delivers clean drinking water to homes, schools and businesses, and safely returns wastewater to the environment,” EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott says. “But there are far too many people in this country dealing with broken, old or simply nonexistent water infrastructure.”

Smaller systems often encounter specific financial and operational hurdles, such as outdated infrastructure, worker shortages, rising costs and shrinking rate bases. The EPA’s grant funding will evaluate the most urgent water issues in these communities, offer training on best practices for water infrastructure and management, assist communities in navigating federal funding applications and investment in sustainable infrastructure.

The EPA’s funding notice outlines four key priorities:

Access to Financing and Funding: Applicants will help communities plan for and secure funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other sources.

Water Quality Protection and Compliance Support: This funding aims to strengthen the technical, managerial and financial capacities of communities, ensuring regulatory compliance.

Tribal Wastewater Systems: Training and technical support for all aspects of clean water infrastructure.

Decentralized Wastewater Systems: With more than 20% of U.S. households relying on septic or other decentralized systems, this priority focuses on assisting those communities.

Last year, the EPA selected nine organizations to receive $41 million in federal Clean Water RST grant funding, with lagoon wastewater systems being an additional area of interest: