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Over the past
25 years EPA has made significant strides in addressing
the wastewater treatment needs of communities across
the United States. But EPA recognizes enormous wastewater
treatment needs remain -- especially in small communities.
EPA's 1996 Clean Water Needs Survey estimated that
small communities need $13.8 billion to comply with
the Clean Water Act by the year 2016.
OWM defines small communities as
those that have 10,000 or fewer people.
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To focus
more attention on the wastewater needs in small communities,
the Office of Wastewater Management (OWM), Municipal
Support Division formed the Small Underserved Communities
Team in 1997. One of the goals of the Team was to
develop baseline information on the wastewater treatment
needs of these communities and to determine the level
of financial assistance provided to date.
OWM's Small
Underserved Communities Team contacted over 50 organizations
(including state agencies, nonprofit organizations,
and national professional associations) to identify
existing data sources.
The Team's
research revealed that state level information, in
computerized format, was only available from four
sources -- U.S. Census, USDA database, EPA's 1996
Needs Survey and Clean Water SRF databases. Data relating
to small community population, housing units, plumbing
facilities, wastewater disposal methods and financial
assistance were compiled.
The Team
analyzed each data source and summarized highlights
in one of four fact sheets listed on next page.
Findings...
The information shows
that while considerable effort has been made to address
the wastewater needs of small communities, significant
needs remain.
More than the 70 percent of the nation's housing units
that lack complete plumbing are in small communities.
Nearly 1 million housing units in small communities
still use outhouses or privies for sewage disposal.
More than $5 billion have been provided to small community
wastewater treatment projects through the EPA Clean
Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) since 1998.
About $2.8 billion of assistance has been provided
by the USDA RUS waste disposal and grant program to
small community wastewater projects between 1992 and
1998.
The information collected
through this study can be used by federal, state and
local agencies to provide needed financial and technical
assistance to small communities. EPA's goal
is to help them achieve adequate and cost effective
wastewater treatment systems.
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List
of Fact Sheets
The 1990 U.S. Decennial Census
of Housing and Population
Quantifies wastewater treatment
practices for small communities
across the country
(EPA 832-F-99-060)
The 1996 Clean Water Needs
Survey
Estimates the funding States
would require to bring small communities
into compliance with the Clean
Water Act
(EPA 832-F-99-058)
The USDA Rural Utilities Service
Contains data on small
community infrastructure
(EPA 832-F-99-059)
The EPA Clean Water State Revolving
Fund
Contains information on
SRF funding levels for small community
wastewater projects
(EPA 832-F-99-057)
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OWM's
Small Underserved
Communities
Team's Mission
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To
administer
programs through
which small
underserved
communities
can access
information,
financial
and technical
assistance
to achieve
adequate and
cost-effective
wastewater
systems
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