EPA Announces $25.5 million to Address Wastewater Challenges in Rural, Small, and Tribal Communities
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $25.5 million in grant funding for technical assistance providers to help small, rural, and Tribal communities address wastewater infrastructure challenges to protect human health and comply with the Clean Water Act. The work performed under this grant program will advance the Trump EPA’s Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) initiative launched earlier this year to align all technical assistance for wastewater systems with tried-and-true services, such as engineering and design expertise, operational support, workforce development, and financial management. EPA is accepting applications from water technical assistance providers until August 14.
“The Trump Administration sees rural America as the backbone of this great nation and is committed to supporting these communities by strengthening vital water infrastructure,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. “That’s why we are using our RealWaterTA initiative to support water systems using proven, best-practice approaches that will most effectively address local needs. This $25.5 million in new funding will accelerate progress and deliver real results.”
The goals of RealWaterTA focus on human health and compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. It also prioritizes accountability for technical assistance providers and real-world results. This initiative is benefiting Americans nationwide, especially in Tribal communities and rural areas where small 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 communities’ most pressing challenges, including supporting water quality compliance issues; providing training on water infrastructure and management best practices; helping communities navigate the federal funding application process, and investing in reliable infrastructure solutions.
The Rural, Small, and Tribal Technical Assistance providers help these communities access resources to support infrastructure improvements. These providers also support rural, small, and Tribal wastewater treatment systems – centralized and decentralized – to build technical, managerial, and financial capacity to operate their systems and maintain compliance.
EPA is accepting applications until August 14, 2026. Learn more about the Rural, Small, and Tribal Wastewater Technical Assistance Grant Program and how to apply.
Background
The Rural, Small and Tribal Clean Water Technical Assistance Grant Program was established by the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. One of EPA’s Real Water Technical Assistance initiatives, the program aims to provide technical assistance to improve small wastewater system operations and management practices, making them more sustainable and resilient, and supporting EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment. To date, the program has awarded over $102 million.
Learn more about EPA’s Real Water Technical Assistance efforts.
Learn more about the tools, training, and resources for small, rural, Tribal wastewater systems.
Communities can request assistance by visiting the agency’s Real Water Technical Assistance webpage.