United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office Of Water
(4204)
EPA 832-F-99-013
January 1999
Fact Sheet #2.O
&EPA Fact Sheet
EPA's Small
Community
Wastewater Project
Rural Community Assistance Program
(RCAP) Help for Small Community
Wastewater Projects
This project is a training and technical assistance program focused on addressing wastewater
treatment issues in rural areas. Many communities and tribes often experience difficulties
complying with Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements. They often lack adequate financing,
management skills and training to construct, operate, manage, and maintain wastewater
treatment facilities or systems. Institutional capacity to implement facility improvements is
often non-existent. In a partnership agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), RCAP provides the appropriate financing, management, operations and maintenance,
and other technical assistance needs through the Small Community Wastewater Project.
The Project provides on-site technical assistance and information transfer to address
community-specific wastewater treatment or compliance problems in small, rural communi-
ties. RCAP targets:
• unsewered communities under administrative orders
• small systems with operations and maintenance problems
• small, rural communities with individual permits and flows <1 MGD that are in violation of
their discharge permits
• small, rural communities that need to upgrade wastewater collection, treatment, and/or
disposal facilities }n order to meet CWA requirements
• small, rural communities with other management, financing, construction, operations, and
technical needs.
RCAP's technical assistance activities are coordinated and selected with state and local
governments or tribal pollution control agencies, EPA's regional Small Community Outreach
and Education (SCORE) coordinators and other appropriate organizations to address small
community wastewater treatment problems. The Small Community Wastewater Project is
administered in the EPA's Office of Wastewater Management, Municipal Support Division
(MSD). The Project is a component of the Small Underserved Communities team in MSD's
Municipal Assistance Branch. The team's goal is to administer programs through which small
underserved communities can access information, financial resources, and technical assistance
to achieve adequate and cost-effective wastewater systems. Nine additional technical
assistance programs are managed by members of this team. Visit the EPA's webpage at
"www.epa.gov/owm/smallc.htm" to access highlights of RCAP's selected small community
wastewater projects, locations for RCAP's regional offices, and to obtain information for other
small community programs.
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"AP is a National network of nonprofit organizations that provides on-site technical assis-
K-S'^^^^jpS^nii^Jif s tqjjelp them attain and/or maintain adequate wastewater treatment
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;|i|] their servjce areas, at no c,ost tp the participating communities or systems. A significant
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fflral areas, or rural areas with a high percentage of low-income individuals who display a
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receives a grant from the gpA to support small community wastewater
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For FY 1999, EPA is targeting $545,000 for the Small Community Wastewater Project.
Additionally, RCAP is contributing $27,250 to the Project from in-kind contributions.
RCAP's technical assistance efforts are planned for approximately 67 projects in 20 states.
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requifements of the CWX. Coordination and nefworling efforts are continuing with the
appfbpriate state or tribal, and ifederal agencies.
ii» congressional add-on grant of $52 1,000
and $27,420 of in-kind contributions from RCAp During the project year, RCAP provided
commii|l|ty-specific training and on-site technical assistance for 102 communities in 26 states:
Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana,
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Mame, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North
(Zlaroiina, Ohiop Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, §oum Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and
Wisconsin. Project communities range in population from as few as 18 people to as many as
J.0,,000. A total of 1 12,032 people directly benefitted from RCAP's assistance for the
.^ggjg^ggij: project Ninety-one percent of the project communities have populations of 3,000
or fewer, and 73 percent have populations of 1,000 or fewer. RCAP developed and conducted
seven Gaining sessions regarding affordable wastewater treatment technology, system
operation and management issues, operator training, and requirements of the CWA.
IJKJPuring FY 1597, RCAP provided technical assistance to 57 small, rural communities in 20
;iSl^t|s? ,,'McAl^, managed 35 facilities development projects, five management and finance
projects for supplemental funding and other types of assistance. A population of 37,771
benefitted from these types of technical assistance.
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Fw More Information Contact:
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.S. Environmenta Pr.Qtection.gency
722 East Market Street, Suite 105
^mgbell Leesburg, Virginia 20176
1-888-321-7227
Internet: http://www.rcap.org
DC20460
Irj|er2et:http://www.epa.gov/owrn
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