Training and Technical Assistance (TA) Program for Rural, Small, and Tribal Wastewater Systems

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Grant Program Overview

The Clean Water Rural, Small, and Tribal Technical Assistance (RST TA) grant program was authorized by the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 and codified under Section 104(b)(8) of the Clean Water Act. The program provides technical assistance and training to support rural, small and Tribal wastewater system operations and management practices, making them more effective and supporting EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment. The Clean Water RST technical assistance providers:

  • Assist rural, small, and Tribal municipalities and governments in securing financing and funding they need to support infrastructure improvements, and
  • Support rural, small, and Tribal wastewater treatment systems – centralized and decentralized – build their technical, managerial, and financial capacity to operate their systems well, protect water quality, and maintain compliance.

Services are available to municipalities and treatment systems nationally in all 50 states, the U.S. territories, and for Tribes.

2025 Selected Applicants

On April 29, 2025, EPA announced the selection of six organizations to receive a total of $49 million in technical assistance funding under the Clean Water Act. This funding is designated to assist communities in addressing critical challenges related to wastewater management and water quality.

Priority Area 1 - Acquisition of Financing and Funding: These applicants will help rural, small, and Tribal communities plan for and access funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other sources.

Priority Area 2 - Protection of Water Quality and Compliance Assistance: This funding will help rural, small, and Tribal communities improve their technical, managerial, and financial capacity and maintain compliance.

Priority Area 3 - Tribal Wastewater Systems: This area provides training and technical assistance to tribes across all areas of their Clean Water Infrastructure.

Priority Area 4 - Decentralized Wastewater Systems: More than one in five households in the United States rely on septic systems and other decentralized systems, and this priority area focuses on assistance to those communities.

For more information, please review the following resources:

How to Request Technical Assistance

Communities may request technical assistance support through the EPA’s Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) Request Form.

Communities may also directly contact the current RST TA grantees to request training and technical assistance:

Historical Funding

Fiscal Year 2023 Announcement

On April 27, 2023, EPA announced the selection of nine organizations to receive a total of $41 million in federal Clean Water RST grant funding. Organizations submitted applications to support five priority areas. The selected recipients for the Rural, Small, and Tribal Wastewater Technical Assistance Grant Program included:

Priority Area 1 - Acquisition of Finance/Funding: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance to rural, small, and/or Tribal municipalities for the purpose of assisting such municipalities and Tribal governments in the planning, developing, and acquisition of financing and funding for projects and activities that are described under the CWSRF program.

Priority Area 2 - Protect Water Quality and Compliance Assistance: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance for rural, small, and/or Tribal publicly-owned treatment works and/or decentralized wastewater systems to help improve water quality, achieve and maintain compliance, and ensure reliable operations and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems over the long run.

Priority Area 3 - Tribal Systems: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance to Tribes for planning, developing, and acquisition of financing/funding and also to help improve water quality and achieve and maintain compliance.

Priority Area 4 - Decentralized Systems: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance for communities that rely on decentralized wastewater treatment systems, specifically to support planning, development, and acquisition of finance.

Priority Area 5 - Lagoon Systems: Applicants selected under this priority area will provide training and technical assistance for communities that use lagoon wastewater treatment systems.

Fiscal Year 2021 Announcement

On September 15, 2021, EPA announced the first grantees under the RST TA program with the selection of $12 million in grant funding to provide training and technical assistance to serve small, rural, and Tribal community wastewater systems. This funding is helping improve public health and environmental protection by helping to ensure that wastewater in these communities is safe and treated before being responsibly returned to the environment. Additional information on the inaugural award announcement and recipients can be found below:

Small and Rural Wastewater Systems

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Last updated on April 29, 2025