Training and Technical Assistance for Rural, Small and Tribal Municipalities and Wastewater Treatment Systems for Clean Water Act Prevention, Reduction, and Elimination of Pollution

All communities deserve access to safe, clean, and reliable water. Yet too many communities across America face challenges in providing clean and safe water to their residents. The Clean Water Rural, Small, and Tribal (RST) grant program is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) efforts that supports communities’ efforts to identify water challenges, develop plans, build technical, financial, and managerial capacity, comply with the Clean Water Act, and access water infrastructure funding. The EPA is soliciting applications to provide training and technical assistance to rural, small, and Tribal municipalities, publicly owned wastewater treatment works, and decentralized wastewater treatment systems for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution. Eligible activities include training and technical assistance only. For examples of Water Technical Assistance, please see the Implementation of EPA Water Technical Assistance memo. Infrastructure construction projects such as repairing water or sewer lines, adding new equipment, or upgrading, retrofitting, or rehabilitating existing equipment are not eligible for funding under this announcement. The Agency is seeking applications from organizations that serve a range of geographic service areas with project budgets appropriate to the number of rural, small, and Tribal entities to be supported. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (P.L. 117-58, Nov. 15, 2021) provides an 3 additional $11.7 billion in funding to the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (CWSRF) with 49% of those funds available as grants and principal forgiveness loans to communities that meet the state’s affordability criteria or certain project types, consistent with the Clean Water Act. This is a historic opportunity to upgrade clean water infrastructure in rural, small, and Tribal communities. Note that this announcement is not funded by the IIJA. However, awards made under this announcement can help communities access CWSRF funds, including IIJA funds, as described herein. The EPA’s current priorities include working to advance equity, address climate change, and responsibly support and implement the IIJA. These priorities include helping ensure that communities that have struggled to access public funding receive the help they need. The EPA aims to maximize the potential for the IIJA funds to significantly benefit rural, small, or Tribal communities with clean water projects. The result is that more communities will have applications for funding, quality wastewater infrastructure, and reliable wastewater services. Awards made through this announcement are intended also to enable communities to comply with environmental regulations and build their technical, managerial, and financial capacity to sustainably operate wastewater infrastructure. Providing this support will allow communities to better protect both public health and the environment.