FY 2021 Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water | EPA OW OGWDW 21 03

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The FY 2021 Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water opportunity is a discretionary EPA funding program that supports nationwide training and technical assistance (TTA) aimed at improving drinking water safety and water quality outcomes. EPA is seeking applicants to deliver practical, hands-on help to smaller and often under-resourced systems and communities so they can better meet federal requirements, reduce public health risks, and strengthen long-term system performance. The program is rooted in EPA's authorities under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), and it is explicitly aligned with EPA's FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, especially Goal 1 (A Cleaner, Healthier Environment) and Objective 1.2 (Provide for Clean and Safe Water). In other words, proposed projects must directly support cleaner and safer water by building real capacity in the field rather than funding construction or infrastructure alone.

The grant focuses on three national priority areas. First, it supports training and technical assistance for small public water systems to achieve and maintain SDWA compliance. A major emphasis within this area is helping systems improve their technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) capacity, since weak governance, limited revenue, inadequate asset management, and staffing constraints are common reasons small systems struggle with compliance and reliability. Second, it supports training and technical assistance for small publicly owned wastewater systems and for communities using onsite or decentralized wastewater approaches (such as septic systems or clustered decentralized treatment) to help improve water quality. This recognizes that failing or poorly managed wastewater systems can directly degrade local waterways and undermine drinking water sources. Third, it funds training and technical assistance for private drinking water well owners, a group that often does not fall under SDWA public system oversight and may lack routine monitoring, treatment knowledge, or resources to address contamination risks. Across all three areas, EPA highlights sustainability and resiliency as central goals, meaning assistance should help systems not only fix immediate problems but also develop the capacity to prevent future failures and respond to operational, financial, and environmental stressors.

A key requirement is that the assistance be made available nationally, serving both rural and urban communities, and that it be accessible to personnel of tribally owned and tribally operated systems. This signals that EPA is looking for applicants with the reach, expertise, and delivery methods to support diverse communities across regions, including those facing historic or structural barriers to technical support. Projects under this opportunity are funded through cooperative agreements, which typically involve a more active federal partnership than a standard grant, and the work is categorized under environmental assistance programs with CFDA numbers 66.424 and 66.436.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity number is EPA OW OGWDW 21 03. EPA anticipated making about 9 awards, with an award ceiling listed at $19,000,000. The opportunity was posted October 15, 2021, with an original closing date of December 3, 2021 (with the notice instructing applicants to confirm final timing details in Section IV of the full announcement). Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which indicates that applicants needed to consult the full funding announcement for specific eligibility categories and any limitations.

Overall, the program is designed to strengthen the ability of small water and wastewater systems and private well users to protect public health and water quality through targeted training, direct technical support, and capacity-building. EPA's stated priority is helping small systems build the technical know-how, management practices, and financial stability needed for long-term compliance, sustainability, and resiliency, rather than short-term fixes that do not address underlying operational and governance challenges.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2021 Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.424, 66.436.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 15, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 03, 2021 See Section IV of funding opportunity announcement for close date information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $19,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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