Wastewater Treatment Programs Serving Small Communities


United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4101)
www.epa.gov/water
EPA-832-R-00-002
April 2000
Wastewater Treatment Programs
Serving Small Communities

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Alaskan Native Villages
Sanitation Grant Program
Residents of many Native Villages lack
adequate sanitation systems.  This
program provides grants to Alaskan
Native Villages for drinking water and
wastewater facility construction,
training, and technical assistance in
facility operation.

Clean Water Tribal Grant Program
Tribal lands cover 13 percent of the
nation's watersheds. This program
provides grants to Indian tribes,
Alaskan Native Villages, and tribes on
former reservations in Oklahoma for
planning, design, and construction of
wastewater facilities.

Colonias Program
The southwestern United States
contains more than 1,200 colonies —
Hispanic communities along the  U.S.-
Mexico border. This program offers
grants for the planning, design, and
construction of wastewater and drinking
water facilities in these communities.

National Environmental Training
Center for Small Communities
(NETCSC)
The Center develops and delivers
training courses on wastewater,
drinking water, and solid waste to
environmental trainers and state and
local officials. Services feature a
toll-free technical assistance hotline, a
website, computer databases,  newslet-
ters, and other outreach activities.
Education/Training

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Technical  Assistance
       Financial  Assistance

National On-Site Demonstration
Project (NODP)
For many small communities, the use
of onsite wastewater management
systems is a cost-effective alternative to
centralized wastewater treatment. By
providing grants and assistance, this
program helps communities plan,
design, construct, monitor, and man-
age alternative onsite systems.

National Small Flows
Clearinghouse  (NSFC)
The Clearinghouse collects and
distributes information about small
wastewater treatment solutions.
Services include a toll-free technical
assistance hotline, an internet-based
discussion group, computer databases,
newsletters,  and other publications.

Operator On-Site Technical
Assistance Program-104(g)
This program addresses compliance
assistance, maintenance, and perform-
ance improvement matters by providing
no-cost, over-the-shoulder, operations
and maintenance, financial, and tech-
nical assistance to small municipal
wastewater treatment plant operators.

Rural Community Assistance
Program (RCAP)
This network of nonprofit organizations
provides community-specific informa-
tion and technical assistance at no
cost. The assistance improves rural
communities' ability  to plan, design,
operate, and maintain wastewater
systems.

Small Communities Outreach and
Education Network (SCORE)
SCORE information and outreach
helps small  communities build self-
sufficient wastewater facilities and
operate them so they meet clean
water standards.

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Small Community Wastewater Facts

• More than 70 percent of the nation's housing
  units that have inadequate plumbing are found in
  small communities.

• Nearly 1 million housing units in small communities
  use outhouses or privies for sewage disposal.

• More than 19 million housing units in small com-
  munities use septic tanks or cesspools as the
  primary source of treatment.

• Many small community wastewater problems can be
  addressed with the assistance of EPA's Small
  Community Programs and partner organizations.
 Homeowner septic tank installation
        Contact  Information/Hotlines  for Wastewater Treatment
 EPA Managed Programs

 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 Office of Wastewater Management
 Municipal Assistance Branch (4204)
 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
 Washington, D.C. 20460
 202-260-5856
 www.epa.gov/owm/smallc.htm

 • Alaskan Native Villages Sanitation Grant Program
  www.epa.gov/owm/indian/alaskan.htm

 • Clean Water Tribal Grant Program
  www.epa.gov/owm/indian/cwisa.htm

 • Colonies Program
  www.epa.gov/owm/mexican.htm

 • Operator On-Site Technical Assistance
  Training Program - 104(g)
  www.epa.gov/owm/tomm.htm

 • Small Communities Outreach and
  Education Network (SCORE)
  www.epa.gov/owm/scmore.htm
 Organizations Receiving EPA Funding

 West Virginia University
 Environmental Services and Training Division
 P.O. Box 6064
 Morgantown, WV 26506
 800-624-8301/304-293-4191
 www.estd.wvu.edu

 • National Environmental Training Center for
  Small Communities (NETCSC)
  www.netc.wvu.edu

 • National On-Site Demonstration Project (NODP)
  www.nodp.wvu.edu

 • National Small Flows Clearinghouse (NSFC)
  www.nsfc.wvu.edu

Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP)
 722 East Market Street, Suite 105
Leesburg, VA 20176
888-321-7227/703-771-8636
www.rcap.org

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