EPA Accepting Next Round of Competitive Award Applications

As directed by Congress in the FY 14 appropriation, EPA is making $12.7 million available on a competitive basis to provide small system (urban and rural) training and technical assistance. This is a new Request for Applications (RFAs). Eligible applicants for these competitive grants are nonprofit organizations, nonprofit private universities and colleges, and public institutions of higher education. Eligible recipients of the training and technical assistance are small public water systems, small publicly-owned wastewater systems, communities served by onsite/decentralized wastewater systems, and owners of private wells. All training and assistance efforts must meet at least one of four EPA National Priority Areas:

• Training and Technical Assistance for Small Public Water Systems to Achieve and Maintain Compliance with the SDWA;
• Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Financial and Managerial Capacity and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water;
• Training and Technical Assistance for Small Publicly-Owned Wastewater Systems and Onsite/Decentralized Wastewater Systems to Help Improve Water Quality; or
• Training and Technical Assistance for Private Well Owners to Help Improve Water Quality.

The application deadline is September 2, 2014. EPA expects to award the grants in winter, 2014-15.
Click this link http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm to learn more about both the competitive announcement and the application process.