US EPA awards $12.7m in grants to help small drinking and wastewater systems

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an award of $12.7m in grants to help small drinking and wastewater systems and private well owners in urban and rural communities across the country.

The water systems will receive training as well as technical help to bolster their operations and management practises, and thereby promote system sustainability and protect public health.

Over 97% of the country’s 157,000 public water systems serve less than 10,000 people, and over 80% of these systems serve fewer than 500 people, EPA stated.

Some of these small systems face unique challenges in providing safe drinking water and wastewater services that meet the requirements of federal and state regulations.

Among these challenges include insufficient financial resources, ageing infrastructure, and high staff turnover.

EPA’s Office of Water deputy assistant administrator Joel Beauvais said: "Ensuring safe drinking water for all Americans, whether they live in a small town or a big city, is a priority for EPA and these grants will help smaller systems in communities across the country."

The EPA has granted $4m each to the National Rural Water Association and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership in order to aid small public water systems achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.

About $1.8m has been given to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to improve the financial and managerial capabilities of small public water systems.

Another $1.2m has been granted to the National Rural Water Association to bolster operational performance at small publicly-owned wastewater systems and decentralised wastewater systems, which will in turn boost public health and water quality.

A $1.7m grant has been given to the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to inform private drinking water well owners on how to protect their drinking water supply as well as improve quality of water.