National Water Reuse Action Plan
Completed Action

Action 6.4: Compile and Promote Existing U.S. Department of Agriculture
Funding and Resources for Rural Communities

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Background

Action Team

Action Leaders
¦ U.S. Department of Agriculture
(IISDA)

- Steve Poiacek, Rural Utilities
Service (RUS)
(steve.polacek@usda.gov)
Action Partners

U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA)

National Rural Water Association
(NRWA)

Rural Community Assistance
Partnership (RCAP)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several
funding programs that help support projects that advance
water reuse and conservation. This action aimed to
identify, compile, and promote USDA funding opportunities
for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. For
example, the USDA-Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and
Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program provides
infrastructure funding for households and businesses in
eligible rural areas. RUS's Water and Waste Disposal
Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program
helps qualified, private nonprofits provide technical
assistance and training to identify and evaluate solutions to
water and waste problems, applicants prepare applications
for water and waste disposal loans/grants, and associations
improve the operation and maintenance of water and waste
facilities in eligible rural areas.

The action team provided information and technical assistance to rural communities, promoted and
financed water reuse projects, and assessed new opportunities for water reuse within USDA Rural
Development programs.

Accomplishments/Impact

Accomplishments under Action 6.4 include increased opportunities for:

•	Incorporating water reuse within
existing Rural Utilities financial

assistance programs. USDA incorporated
language into regulations that identify water
reuse as an eligible expense and project type.

•	Rural communities to benefit from
technical assistance and training
programs that encourage water reuse.

In September 2022, a notice of funding
opportunity was released for technical
assistance and training on several different topics,
including water reuse.

•	Furthering knowledge. USDA trained internal and external engineers and loan specialists on
understanding how to evaluate water reuse projects for engineering and loans.

Internal Training—Boise, Idaho

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• Internal collaborations on water reuse. LISDA sought to strengthen partnerships within
USDA to understand the potential for water reuse work and expand networks. See the "Potential
Future Activity" section for more details.

Action Implementation Process

Included water reuse
strategies in the
USDA/Rural Water and
Waste Disposal Technical
Assistance and Training
Grant Programs.

Included water reuse
strategies in the
USDA/Rural Development
Water and Waste Disposal
Loan and Grant Programs.

Trained loan specialists
on tracking and
prioritizing water reuse
projects within the
Agency's internal
underwriting program.

Trained engineers on classifying
water reuse components within
proposed projects (e.g., constructed
wetlands, aquifer recharge,
production of potable water, fire
protection, dust control).

Potential Future Activity

Internal and external trainings for
audiences such as engineers and loan
specialists are ongoing and are anticipated
to include strategies related to funding
projects that include water reuse and
outreach to reuse-focused systems and
engineers. Reports from USDA's internal
underwriting system will be generated
quarterly to assess water reuse
applications, investments, and data.

Collaboration within USDA on the topic of
water reuse is also ongoing. USDA Rural
Development Will continue to reach out to USDA- USDA Internal Training-Jackson, Mississippi

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

and USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA) for opportunities to partner and network.

Additional Resources

¦	Water and Environment Programs

¦	National Rural Water Association

Rural Community Assistance Partnership

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