Training and Technical Assistance for Small Systems Funding

FY 2021 Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water

On October 15, 2021, EPA opened the competition of the FY2021 Training and Technical Assistance available grant funding of $21.7 million.  EPA is soliciting applications under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA) from eligible applicants as described in the  Request for Applications (pdf)   to provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems, small publicly owned wastewater systems, communities served by onsite/decentralized wastewater systems, and private drinking water well owners.

Training and technical assistance activities provided to these systems, communities, and private drinking water well owners should be made available nationally in rural and urban communities and to personnel of tribally-owned and -operated systems.  Assisting small systems with their technical, managerial, and financial capacity to achieve long-term sustainability and resiliency is a key priority for the Agency.

Small water systems often face unique financial and operational challenges, including aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, increasing costs, and declining rate bases. EPA anticipates that the funding opportunity announcement will solicit projects that will provide training and technical assistance to small public water systems, small wastewater systems, and private well owners across the country to help improve operational performance and comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act. The projects are also expected to help inform private drinking water well owners about strategies to protect their drinking water supply.

Eligible applicants for this competitive agreement are nonprofit organizations, nonprofit private universities and colleges, and public institutions of higher education. The solicitation for the grants is posted on Grants.gov. Applicants have 60 days to apply. EPA expects to award these cooperative agreements by Spring 2022 and encourages all eligible organizations who have an interest in these projects to apply.

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 three to nine cooperative agreements totaling up to $21.7 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 to help improve water quality; or
• Private well owners to help improve water quality.

Click here:

FY21 Training and Technical Assistance RFA (pdf) (October 15, 2021)

Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to the following document for responses to frequently asked questions.

FAQ for FY21 Small Systems grant (pdf) (2021)

EPA Selects Funding Recipients to Provide Training and Technical Assistance for Small Systems

On May 12, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of over $17 million in grant funding to provide training and technical assistance to small drinking water and wastewater systems that often serve small communities and rural America. This funding will improve public health and environmental protection by helping to ensure that drinking water in these communities is safe and that wastewater is treated before being responsibly returned to the environment.

This technical assistance may include circuit-rider and multi-state regional technical assistance programs, training and site visits, and training or technical assistance to diagnose and trouble-shoot system operational and compliance-related problems and identify solutions. The selected recipients are:

Rural Community Assistance Partnership

• $6.15 million: Provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, including improving financial and managerial capacity.  
• $1.7 million: Work with private well owners to help improve water quality

National Rural Water Association

• $6.15 million: Provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, including improving financial and managerial capacity.  

University of New Mexico

• $2.7 million: Provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, including improving financial and managerial capacity.  
• $1 million: Work with small publicly-owned wastewater and on-site/decentralized wastewater systems to improve water quality

Training and tools to improve small system operations and management practices, promote sustainability and support EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment. The areas of assistance include asset management, capital improvement planning, fiscal planning and rate setting, water loss reduction, water system collaboration and partnerships, managerial leadership, funding coordination, as well as training and technical assistance to assist in achieving compliance with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.

To read the announcement, please go to the Press Release.

Background