Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
On May 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the allocation of $30.7 million to support water systems and private well owners in small and rural communities. This funding aims to enhance technical, financial, and managerial capacities of water systems and assist private well owners in improving water quality, including testing for PFAS contamination.
“At EPA we know too many communities struggle to access funding for critical water infrastructure projects so that they can meet basic wastewater and drinking water needs. For years, EPA has worked with nonprofit technical assistance providers to help these communities solve water challenges and access funding,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Bruno Pigott. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to making progress on water infrastructure by investing unprecedented dollars through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and these technical assistance providers are helping the communities that need it most access that funding.”
Since 2012, this grant has provided over $170 million in funding to technical assistance and training providers. These organizations aid communities with water infrastructure challenges through various programs including circuit-rider services, multi-state regional technical assistance programs, training sessions, site visits, and efforts focused on diagnosing operational issues and compliance-related problems.
The recipients of this year’s funding include:
- **Rural Community Assistance Partnership**: Receiving $13 million for training and technical assistance aimed at helping small public water systems comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. An additional $3.4 million will support private well owners in improving water quality.
- **University of New Mexico**: Allocated $5 million for assisting small public water systems in maintaining compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, along with $1.2 million dedicated to improving small publicly owned wastewater systems.
- **National Rural Water Association**: Granted $7.9 million for providing training and technical assistance focused on compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act as well as enhancing cybersecurity measures.
Additionally, EPA’s free Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) offers services designed to help communities identify their water challenges, develop plans, build capacity, and prepare application materials for accessing water infrastructure funding. These services aim to bolster the capabilities of water utilities to maintain regulatory compliance, improve resiliency, and sustainably provide safe drinking water.
