Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) Information
All communities deserve access to clean, reliable water. Yet, too many communities across America face challenges in providing safe drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services to their residents. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law presents an unprecedented opportunity to address water infrastructure needs by providing $50 billion in new funding – the largest federal investment in water in the history of our nation. New and existing EPA Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) programs will be utilized to support effective implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- What is WaterTA?
- Help for Your Community
- Request WaterTA for Your Community
- WaterTA Community Stories
- Resources for WaterTA Providers
- Additional Financial Resources
Click Here to Request Water Technical Assistance for Your Community
What is WaterTA?
EPA's free Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) services support communities to identify water challenges, develop plans, build technical, managerial, and financial capacity, and develop application materials to access water infrastructure funding. To implement WaterTA, EPA collaborates with states, Tribes, territories, community partners, and other key stakeholders.
In this section:
- WaterTA Services
- WaterTA Programs
- WaterTA Webinars and Presentations
- Additional Technical Assistance Services and Programs
What WaterTA services are available?
EPA WaterTA provides the following services to address drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater challenges:
- Identifying water infrastructure or water quality improvement needs
- Planning for capital improvements
- Building technical, managerial, and financial capacity
- Preparing for and developing application materials for financing a project through the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) or other EPA-supported funding opportunities:
The table below further lists services EPA’s various WaterTA providers can provide.
Planning and Assessment | Project Development | Partnerships and Engagement | Funding and Financing | Program Management Support |
---|---|---|---|---|
Community Engagement | Preliminary Engineering Reports | Ongoing Engagement and Outreach | Rates and Revenue Analysis | Bid Support |
Plan Development and Coordination | Lead Service Line Inventories | Decision-maker and Board Education | Financial Planning | Change Order Review |
Studies and Assessments | Project Design | Water Systems Partnerships | Identify Funding Options | Project Inspection |
Asset Management | Environmental Reviews | Capacity Building | Application Support | Domestic Preference and Davis Bacon Assistance |
If you require a different service, learn about additional technical assistance programs or contact WaterTA@epa.gov. EPA partners with state agencies to support and strengthen state-run technical assistance and SRF programs as well.
What are the WaterTA programs?
Learn about EPA’s various WaterTA programs.
WaterTA Webinars and Presentations
View past WaterTA webinars and presentations.
Date | Webinar Title and Recording Link | Additional Materials |
---|---|---|
May 29, 2024 | Addressing Stormwater Challenges with EPA Technical Assistance and Funding |
Addressing Stormwater Challenges with EPA Technical Assistance and Funding - Presentation (pdf) (9.9 MB) |
May 22, 2024 | Helping Communities Access Funding - informational webinar #3 | EPA’s Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA): Helping Communities Access Funding - Presentation (pdf) (5.2 MB) |
December 12, 2023 | Helping Communities Access Funding - informational webinar #2 | |
July 31, 2023 | Helping Communities Solve Water Challenges - informational webinar #1 |
Additional Technical Assistance Services and Programs
EPA is rolling out more general technical assistance under its Thriving Communities initiatives to build foundational capacities within community-based nonprofits and their partners, such as local and Tribal governments, to address a range of environmental and public health issues. Services will include:
- Training and assistance on writing grant proposals
- Navigating federal systems such as Grants.gov and SAM.gov
- Effectively managing grant funds
- Community engagement
- Meeting facilitation
- Translation and interpretation services for limited English proficiency (LEP) participants
For more information, visit EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. EPA is also coordinating technical assistance with other federal agencies through the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network.
Help for Your Community
WaterTA aims to assist communities with applications for federal funding, quality infrastructure, and reliable water services.
In this section:
- Who can receive WaterTA?
- What if I have a question about my home’s water?
- What challenges can WaterTA help my community address?
Click Here to Request Water Technical Assistance for Your Community
Who can receive WaterTA services?
- Local governments/communities
- Drinking water utilities/systems
- Wastewater utilities/systems
- Stormwater utilities/systems
- States, Tribes, territories
- Non-governmental organizations
EPA WaterTA aims to assist communities with applications for federal funding, quality infrastructure, and reliable water services in partnership with drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities and local government. WaterTA cannot provide direct assistance to federal facilities or individuals/individual households.
Contact WaterTA@epa.gov if you have questions regarding your organization’s eligibility.
What if I have a question about my home’s water?
- For questions about your drinking water, contact your water utility and/or state drinking water agency.
- If you think you may have a lead service line or lead pipes in your plumbing, contact your water utility or a licensed plumber to determine if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a "service line") is made from lead. Learn more about important steps you can take to reduce lead in drinking water.
- If you believe your utility is in violation of a drinking water or clean water standard, or have concerns about potentially harmful environmental activities in your community, report your concern.
- If you are not sure which resource best fits your need, you can email WaterTA@epa.gov on how to obtain assistance.
Through the services listed above, WaterTA may be able to help your community and its water utilities address water challenges such as:
- Sewer backups or sewage in yards or homes
- Drinking water accessibility or quality concerns
- Low-water pressure or unreliable water service
- Lack of running water
- Concerns about lead in your community's drinking water
- Flooding or stormwater backups throughout a neighborhood
To address these concerns, WaterTA experts and partners are equipped to help with:
- Lead service line identification and replacement
- Drinking water treatment plant and pipe upgrades or building new drinking water infrastructure
- Wastewater treatment plant and pipe upgrades or building new infrastructure
- Connecting households or small drinking water/wastewater systems to larger systems
- Stormwater, green infrastructure, and water conservation projects
- Source water protection
- Emerging contaminant (e.g., PFAS) challenges
- Improving cybersecurity
- Improving climate resiliency
For more information, refer to EPA's Community WaterTA Fact Sheet.
Request WaterTA for Your Community
If your community is facing any of the above water infrastructure challenges, and you have reviewed the above Help for Your Community section and believe your community qualifies for WaterTA, submit a request for no-cost, direct assistance today!
Click Here to Request Water Technical Assistance for Your Community
What can I expect after I submit a request?
- After you submit a request form, you will receive a confirmation email from WaterTA@epa.gov.
- You may also receive a follow-up email or call from EPA, a representative of EPA, or one of our technical assistance providers to clarify your interests and request more fully.
- EPA will review the request and respond with potential next steps as soon as possible, depending on the volume of requests we receive. Because many states also offer technical assistance programs, EPA may share or discuss your request with the appropriate state agency in an effort to provide the best, most timely assistance available. Requests from Tribal communities may be shared with the Indian Health Service to coordinate assistance.
Please note not every request may be offered technical assistance, and participation in this or other EPA technical assistance programs does not guarantee funding through the State Revolving Funds or other programs.
WaterTA Community Stories
Explore examples of WaterTA in action.
In this section:
Investing in America's Water Infrastructure StoryMap
In 2021, the Biden-Harris administration passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and committed $50 billion to improving the nation's water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. The EPA’s Investing in America’s Water Infrastructure StoryMap shares examples of how this funding is being used in communities across the country for both technical assistance and State Revolving Fund (SRF) projects. Note: The “Funding” section will indicate if the story involves a WaterTA community.
Resources for WaterTA Providers
EPA's WaterTA providers work closely with communities to understand their water infrastructure needs and plan for the future. WaterTA providers are generally non-profit organizations and public and private non-profit universities and colleges. EPA has developed specific resources to support existing and prospective WaterTA providers.
In this section:
- Who can apply to be a WaterTA provider?
- Memorandum: Implementation of WaterTA
- Press Release (September 20, 2023)
Who can apply to be a WaterTA provider?
Eligible applicants are generally non-profit organizations and public and private non-profit universities and colleges. However, funding eligibility for technical assistance providers varies depending on the program. To receive ongoing updates, please sign up for EPA's Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center email list.
Memorandum: Implementation of WaterTA
The Implementation of EPA WaterTA Memorandum provides direction on how EPA's Office of Water manages WaterTA and supports WaterTA providers in their work with communities across the country.
Press Release (September 20, 2023)
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Commitment to Advancing Water Equity and Access for All
Additional Financial Resources
Numerous EPA programs and resources are available to further support utilities, municipalities, and Tribes in maintaining regulatory compliance, improving resiliency, and building technical, managerial, and financial capacity.
In this section:
- WaterTA and Other Technical Assistance Programs
- State Funding Resources Available through the State Revolving Funds (SRFs)
- Water Finance Resources
- Drinking Water Grants
WaterTA and Other Technical Assistance Programs
Learn about EPA's various WaterTA programs.
State Revolving Fund (SRF) Resources
- Learn about what types of projects can be funded through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
- State CWSRF websites and contacts
- Learn about what types of projects can be funded through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
- State DWSRF websites and contacts
- To learn more about the SRFs and new SRF funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:
- Visit the following webpages:
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - This includes multiple Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources.
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law SRF Funding Status - This table reflects the latest status' of Fiscal Year 2022 funding, provided to EPA by the individual states.
- Investments from EPA Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act - These interactive maps allow users to explore the historic investments made in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities. They represent current progress and impact of the work. With unprecedented funding to support our national infrastructure, EPA is working to improve people’s health and safety, help create good-paying jobs, and increase climate resilience throughout the country. These data are updated daily and can be downloaded.
- View the following webinars:
- SRFs and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding - This webinar describes how Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding can help communities improve their water and wastewater infrastructure. (February 2023)
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Improving Water Infrastructure for Communities - This webinar describes how SRF programs work, how Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding can help communities address water infrastructure challenges, and resources available for information and technical assistance. (July 2022)
- SRF 101 Learning Module - This Water Finance Center learning module provides an introduction to the SRF program. (last updated in 2018)
- Visit the following webpages:
Water Finance Resources
- Water Finance Clearinghouse - A database of financial assistance sources available to fund a variety of watershed protection projects.
-
Water Finance Webinars - The Water Finance Center includes recordings of past webinars and announcements for upcoming events.
-
Learn about water affordability, including addressing water affordability with the DWSRF.
Drinking Water Grants
Learn about EPA's various drinking water grants.
Connect with EPA
- Join the EPA's Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center email list for WaterTA updates
- Email questions to WaterTA@epa.gov
What’s New and Key Resources
- New WaterTA Engineering Support webpage (June 27, 2024)
- Local Infrastructure Investment Stories (February 20, 2024)
- Biden-Harris Administration Expands EPA Wastewater Program (February 13, 2024)
- WaterTA Programs – Comprehensive list of EPA programs that offer WaterTA.
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces Commitment to Advancing Water Equity and Access for All (September 20, 2023)
- WaterTA Community Fact Sheet (May 2023) - General introduction to WaterTA.
- WaterTA Implementation Memo (March 2023) – EPA guidance for WaterTA providers.
Featured Community: Tunica County, Mississippi
Built on casinos and agriculture, Tunica County, Mississippi is a small, dispersed community facing a number of water and wastewater challenges. The utility manages multiple small systems within the community, and infrastructure improvements and costs have historically been paid for by the local casinos. However, as the casinos phase out, and the county poises itself for future growth opportunities, the community is re-evaluating their rate structure and funding sources with the help of EPA WaterTA to deliver lasting water quality and reliability improvements well into the future.