The agreement provides funding to national rural water association

The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) received a $14.74 million Project Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water under the Technical Assistance for Treatment Works program (CFDA 66.446), effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2027. This award funds comprehensive training and technical assistance services to rural, small, and tribal municipalities and their wastewater systems, addressing three primary priority areas. Under Priority Area 1 (Access to Finance/Funding), NRWA will provide on-site technical assistance to a minimum of 600 communities and wastewater systems for at least 10,000 hours of in-person training, deliver 100 on-site community training sessions, and disseminate 40 case studies. Under Priority Area 2 (Water Quality and Compliance), the organization will serve a minimum of 948 communities and systems through 7,900 hours of in-person technical assistance and share 32 case studies. Under Priority Area 4 (Decentralized Systems), NRWA will provide on-site technical assistance for 7,500 hours to at least 500 communities operating decentralized wastewater systems.

NRWA implements this award through subawards to 52 state affiliate offices nationwide, with designated roles including Water Quality Action Specialists (WQAS) and Funding Specialists. WQAS personnel provide training and technical assistance focused on decentralized wastewater system operations and maintenance, as well as support for publicly-owned treatment works and regulatory compliance. Funding Specialists deliver targeted assistance on planning, development, and acquisition of financing for wastewater infrastructure projects eligible under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This geographically distributed delivery model, leveraging NRWA's established network of rural water association partners across all states, ensures that underserved and historically overlooked rural and tribal communities receive critical capacity-building support for infrastructure development and operational sustainability.

Specifically, the recipient will provide training and technical assistance to rural, small and/or tribal municipalities- including those on decentralized systems- for planning, developing, and acquisition of financing/funding for cwsrf eligible activities and for improving water quality and achieving and maintaining water quality compliance. Activities:the activities include different deliverables by priority area. For priority area 1, access to finance/funding: providing a minimum of 600 communities and wastewater systems with on-site TA for a minimum of 10,000 hours of in person t/TA, including 300 completed TA activities and 3,500 ongoing; host a minimum of 100 on-site community training sessions for wastewater utility personnel and key stakeholders; transfer the results by sharing 40 case studies. For priority area 2, improving water quality and achieving and maintaining compliance: serve a minimum of 948 communities and wastewater systems (including 100 lagoons) through 7,900 hours of in-person t/TA and transfer the results by sharing 32 case studies. For priority area 4, decentralized: serve a minimum of 500 communities and decentralized wastewater systems through 7,500 hours of on-site t/TA and recommend communities to the closing america's wastewater access GAP program. Subrecipient:subawards will be given to all 52 nrwa state affiliate offices in order to run the training and technical assistance activities previously described: the activities include different deliverables by priority area. For priority area 1, access to finance/funding: providing a minimum of 600 communities and wastewater systems with on-site TA for a minimum of 10,000 hours of in person t/TA, including 300 completed TA activities and 3,500 ongoing; host a minimum of 100 on-site community training sessions for wastewater utility personnel and key stakeholders; transfer the results by sharing 40 case studies. For priority area 2, improving water quality and achieving and maintaining compliance: serve a minimum of 948 communities and wastewater systems (including 100 lagoons) through 7,900 hours of in-person t/TA and transfer the results by sharing 32 case studies. For priority area 4, decentralized: serve a minimum of 500 communities and decentralized wastewater systems through 7,500 hours of on-site t/TA and recommend communities to the closing america's wastewater access GAP program.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include development of training and technical assistance programs. The anticipated outcomes include an increased number of communities that receive federal funding for cwsrf eligible projects; an increased number of communities with stronger financial, technical, and managerial capacity that understand water quality standards and how to achieve compliance with those standards; and an increased number of communities that understand decentralized system maintenance requirements and how to develop financial capacity to maintain these systems. The intended beneficiaries include individuals who participate in the program, the general public, and rural and small communities.