EPA’s Fiscal Year 2017 appropriation directs the Agency to competitively award $12.7 million to non-profit organizations to provide training and technical assistance to small public water systems, small wastewater systems and private well owners, located in urban and rural communities throughout the U.S. and its territories.

The funding will help provide water and wastewater system staff and private well owners with training and tools to enhance system operations and management practices, and support EPA’s continuing efforts to protect public health and promote sustainability in small communities.

EPA expects to award four to nine cooperative agreements totaling up to $25.4 million in federal funds.  The purpose of the agreements is to provide training and technical assistance to:

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

• FY 2017 and FY 2018 Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water (PDF)(39 pp, 852 K)
  Small systems training and technical assistance request for applications