September 25, 2024
(press release)
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WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $49 million in new technical assistance funding to help rural, small and Tribal communities address critical wastewater and water quality challenges.
The new funding will be awarded to technical assistance providers who will help communities identify their water infrastructure needs and guide them toward appropriate funding options. This action advances the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to environmental justice.
“Our nation’s water infrastructure delivers clean drinking water to homes, schools and businesses and safely returns wastewater to the environment. But there are far too many people in this country dealing with broken, old or simply non-existent water infrastructure,” said EPA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “This $49 million will help more rural, small, and Tribal communities address pressing water challenges while advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to close the water equity gap in our country.”
Many rural, small, and Tribal systems face unique financial and operational challenges, including aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, increasing costs, and declining rate bases. EPA’s grant funding will be used to assess the most pressing water challenges in communities, provide training on water infrastructure and management best practices, help communities navigate the federal funding application process, and strategically invest in reliable infrastructure solutions.
The Rural, Small, and Tribal Technical Assistance providers are important in helping to ensure that these communities receive help accessing resources to support infrastructure improvements. These providers can provide direct support to help build technical, managerial, and financial capacity to operate centralized and decentralized wastewater management systems.
EPA’s notice of funding availability identifies four priorities for this funding:
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 (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and other sources.
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