Neiwpcc's wastewater capacity, management, operation and maintenance (CMOM) training and technical assistance program will provide training and technical assistance for rural, small, and tribal…

Under a $1,026,220 Project Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Technical Assistance for Treatment Works program (CFDA #66.446), the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) will provide training and technical assistance to help rural, small, and tribal wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) in the Northeast region achieve regulatory compliance and improve water quality.

NEIWPCC will develop six online, self-paced training courses on technical, financial, and managerial topics to increase the capacity of WWTW personnel. They will also provide site-specific, in-person and virtual technical assistance to up to 35 struggling WWTWs, helping them evaluate and recommend CMOM (capacity, management, operations, and maintenance) program improvements and identify funding sources. These efforts aim to equip WWTWs with the skills needed to sustainably operate, maintain, and manage their wastewater infrastructure and achieve permit compliance, ultimately improving water quality in the region.

Neiwpcc's wastewater capacity, management, operation and maintenance (CMOM) training and technical assistance program will provide training and technical assistance for rural, small, and tribal wastewater treatment works (WWTWS) to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance and, consequently, help improve water quality. They will produce online training and provide direct technical assistance to small, rural, and tribal WWTWS across seven compact states (new england and new york) to equip struggling utilities with basic technical, financial, and managerial skills to sustainably operate, maintain, and manage their wastewater infrastructure. Neiwpcc will take a two-pronged approach to provide training and technical assistance to small, rural, and tribal publicly owned wastewater treatment works (WWTWS). As the first component, they will expand their existing training program to create a series of online, self-paced courses focused on increasing the technical, financial, and managerial capacity of publicly owned treatment works personnel. The second component is to provide targeted, strategic outreach to small, rural, and tribal WWTWS to help them develop their technical, financial, and managerial capacity.activities:for the training component of the project, neiwpcc will produce six comprehensive self-paced online training courses that will be accessible to anyone with an internet connection, providing small, rural, and tribal WWTWS with greater access to much-needed education and training. For the technical assistance component of the project, they will provide site specific, technical assistance outreach to targeted WWTWS. With help from existing EPA, state, and tribal partners in new england and new york, they will identify small, rural, and tribal WWTWS that could benefit from more personalized one-on-one assistance. Neiwpcc will work individually with each of these utilities, providing in-person, site-specific outreach to help them evaluate and recommend improvements, and identify potential sources of funding to address needs. Although the actual scope for the technical assistance will differ and be refined to meet the individual needs of the final wwtw beneficiaries, the framework will be based on EPA's existing capacity, management, operations, and maintenance (CMOM) program, and associated publicly available resources. Since their technical assistance is focused on providing struggling utilities with basic technical, financial, and managerial tools, the EPA's CMOM program provides a great foundation and ensures efficient use of grant funds.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:neiwpcc anticipates that through completion of this project they will produce six (6) new self-paced wastewater courses on our learning management system available online to anyone, at any time, from any location where there is an internet connection. They also anticipate an increase in the number of wastewater professionals across the northeast, and the country, with access to technical, financial, and managerial training. Neiwpcc will support up to 35 small, rural, and tribal WWTWS across seven states provided with technical assistance to prepare EPA's CMOM self-assessment and prioritized planning-level list of CMOM improvements. And neiwpcc will host up to 350 site-specific technical assistance meetings provided in-person and virtually to struggling WWTWS or in water-quality limited areas. Neiwpcc anticipates that completion of these project activities will result in increased access to training for rural, small, and tribal wastewater personnel. Those WWTWS personnel will also benefit from increased technical, financial, and managerial skills, allowing them to optimize treatment to improve permit compliance and protect water quality, develop and administer comprehensive asset management programs, and to protect the significant wastewater infrastructure investmen