84044401

Description:
The purpose of this award will allow NRWA to address National Priority Area 1 by implementing training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain SDWA compliance, including improving financial and managerial capacity in all 50 states, tribal nations, and U.S. territories. NRWA's proposed program builds upon successful elements and methods of the USDA-funded Circuit Rider Program to carry out these objectives.

Activities:
NRWA's approach to addressing National Priority Area 1 and EPA's current priorities, including ensuring and advancing environmental justice and equity, revitalizing communities, and protecting health when providing training and technical assistance (T/TA), includes the following specific tasks:

Task 1: Implement a defined collaborative planning process with appropriate regulatory authorities for each state, tribe, and U.S. territory.

Task 2: Promote available training and technical assistance to small PWS staff.

Task 3: Provide innovative compliance assistance to small PWS in all 50 states, tribal nations, and U.S. territories.

Task 4: Expand assistance for small systems to develop customer assistance programs and to access SRF funds through the Intended Use Plan.

Task 5: Expand assistance opportunities for tribally-owned and operated systems, indigenous peoples, minority populations, Alaska Native villages, colonias, overburdened PWS, and PWS in U.S. territories serving underrepresented communities.

Task 6: Foster the transfer of results, successful compliance strategies, and resources.

Task 7: Manage and document the performance of the project.

Subrecipient:
Subawards to NRWA state offices are for the cost of staff training and on-site assistance in each state. The related activities include: consult with regulatory and tribal authorities; create state operating plans and provide draft copies to regulatory authorities for final comments; finalize operating plans and provide copies to regulatory agencies prior to any T/TA occurring; resolve any outstanding issues; provide communications to systems, including tribally-owned and US territories, through direct mailings, magazines, websites, e-newsletters, and social media of training and technical assistance; conduct in-person classroom training sessions, onsite technical assistance visits to small water systems; produce webinars with the most up-to-date information on NPDWR compliance and technical capacity; conduct training sessions and on-site technical assistance visits to tribally-owned PWSS and to provide technical assistance to U.S. territories; and provide case studies and share materials at meetings with ASDWA, AWWA, and SWC.

Outcomes:
Projected environmental improvement (outcomes)
The following environmental outcomes will result from carrying out NRWA's proposed T/TA program:

- Improvement in the quality of drinking water in small systems, reflected in reducing small systems in violation and ultimately enhancing long-term sustainability.
- Improved public health outcomes in small PWS include tribal, indigenous peoples, minority populations, Alaska Native villages, colonias, and overburdened systems to mitigate and provide a living network of assistance to promote fair representation to mitigate disproportionate effects of environmental injustices.
- An increased number of small utilities offering affordability programs to assist their customers, resulting in more sustainable and resilient drinking water utilities.
- An increased level of financial capacity, measured by more systems accessing funds through DWSRF.
- An increased level of emergency preparedness and resiliency (including pandemic mitigation strategies) in small PWS following T/TA in completing risk and resilience assessments.

The intended beneficiaries include: small water system operators, managers, and decision-makers; systems serving indigenous peoples, minority populations, and overburdened systems; sm

National Rural Water Association

66.424 - Surveys, Studies, Investigations, Demonstrations, and Training Grants - Section 1442 of the Safe Drinking Water Act

Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD) [EPA - HQ]

Office of Water (OW) [EPA - HQ]

Oklahoma United States

State-Wide

None