Project Grant 84063901

DESCRIPTION:THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO THE NATIONAL RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION (NRWA). THE NRWA PROPOSES A 12-MONTH NATIONWIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO HELP RURAL, SMALL, AND TRIBAL PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS, DECENTRALIZED SYSTEMS, AND MUNICIPALITIES COMPLY WITH LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS BY BUILDING TECHNICAL, MANAGERIAL, AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY TO SUSTAINABLY OPERATE WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE OVERALL AIM OF IMPROVING WATER QUALITY AND ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE. NRWA WILL WORK WITH STATE REGULATORY AND TRIBAL AGENCIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO DEVELOP WELL-COORDINATED OPERATING PLANS AND ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS WITH APPROPRIATE REGULATORY AGENCIES TO FOSTER COMPLIANCE AND ASSIST CURRENT CHALLENGES. ADDITIONALLY, COMMUNITY WASTEWATER PERSONNEL WILL RECEIVE THE RESOURCES AND TOOLS NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT DIAGNOSTIC AND TROUBLESHOOTING ANALYSES TO HELP SOLVE NPDES PERMIT COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN THEIR COMMUNITY. ACTIVITIES:NATIONAL RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION (NRWA) WILL IMPLEMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING TO A MINIMUM OF 600 COMMUNITIES AND/OR SYSTEMS IN THE FORM OF A MINIMUM OF 3,000 ONSITE HOURS THROUGH THE USE OF WATER QUALITY ACTION SPECIALISTS (WQAS) DEPLOYED TO IDENTIFIED COMMUNITIES IN NEED. ADDITIONAL TRAINING WILL INCLUDE 120 HYBRID TRAINING SESSIONS (IN-PERSON TRAINING SESSIONS WITH THE OPTION TO ATTEND REMOTELY). PARTICIPANTS WILL BE TRAINED TO ASSESS STEPS NEEDED TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND/OR MITIGATE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM THEIR WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. SYSTEM MANAGERS AND OPERATORS WILL ALSO RECEIVE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR TOPICS SUCH AS CLIMATE RISK ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING, EFFECTIVE UTILITY MANAGEMENT, REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, AND FINANCIAL AND MANAGERIAL CAPACITY CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES. THE NRWA PROGRAM MANAGER WILL MONITOR REAL-TIME REPORTING FROM THE WATER QUALITY AND COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITH INPUT FROM THE WQAS. THE PROGRAM MANAGER WILL SCHEDULE REGIONAL MEETINGS WITH STATE AFFILIATES TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT THE PROGRAM'S OVERALL GOALS. NRWA WILL RECORD OUTPUTS AND TRAINING CHARACTERISTICS IN ITS DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM AND REPORT THEM TO THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.SUBRECIPIENT:NRWA WILL PROVIDE GRANT SUB-AWARDS TO STATE AFFILIATES TO CARRY OUT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING EFFORTS FUNDED UNDER THIS PROJECT. NRWA HAS 50 STATE AFFILIATES SERVING ALL 50 STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES THAT HAVE DEVELOPED ONGOING MULTI-YEAR RELATIONSHIPS WITH REGULATORY AGENCIES AND LOCAL UTILITIES IN ALL LOCATIONS. WITHIN THIS PROPOSAL, NRWA WILL SERVE AS THE DIRECT RECIPIENT OF THE GRANT, AND ALL OTHER PARTNERING AFFILIATES WILL BE GRANT SUBRECIPIENTS. THE SUB-AWARDEES WILL EACH USE THEIR FUNDING FOR TYPICAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TA AND TRAINING AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION SUCH AS SALARIES AND BENEFITS, TRAVEL, AND NORMAL OPERATING EXPENSES. THERE ARE SEVERAL ITEMS TOTALING THE SUBAWARD CATEGORY: (1) $2,714,590 - SUBAWARD TO STATE AFFILIATES FOR THE COST OF STAFF FOR T/TA IN EACH STATE TO PROVIDE FULL-TIME WATER QUALITY ASSISTANCE SPECIALISTS FOR ONSITE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND HYBRID TRAINING SESSIONS TO A MINIMUM OF 600 COMMUNITIES AND/OR WASTEWATER SYSTEMS FOR A MINIMUM OF 3,000 ONSITE HOURS ANNUALLY. THE COST WILL INCLUDE SALARY, FRINGE, TRAVEL, AND INDIRECT COSTS.; (2) $5,366 - ANNUAL NRWA IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR STAFF TO DISSEMINATE KNOWLEDGE AND SHARE BEST PRACTICES FROM THE PROJECT; AND, (3) $4,157 - SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR SOFTWARE, POSTAGE, AND MAILING OF MATERIALS IN SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM. OUTCOMES:NATIONAL RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION (NRWA) WILL TRANSFER PROGRAM RESULTS THROUGH CASE STUDIES, ARCGIS STORY MAPS, TRAINING MATERIALS, AND A PRESENTATION AT AN INDUSTRY CONFERENCE. EFFECTIVE COMPLIANCE STRATEGIES, CASE STUDIES, ARCGIS STORY MAPS, TRAINING MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES WILL ALSO BE DISTRIBUTED VIA NRWA AND STA