EPA Wastewater Training and Technical Assistance Programs
Overview of the Wastewater Training and Technical Assistance Programs for Wastewater Systems
The EPA Wastewater Training and Technical Assistance Programs is established under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The objective of these programs are to provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) for rural, small, and tribal publicly owned treatment works and decentralized wastewater treatment systems. The goal of these programs are to make these essential services available nationally, in rural and small communities and to their system’s personnel, including tribally-owned and -operated systems. Assistance under this program can be provided to those systems that treat up to 1 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater or serve a population less than 10,000 and may also serve operations such as, but not limited to, hospitals, schools, and restaurants.
Training and Technical Assistance for Small and Rural Wastewater Systems
- Water Quality and Compliance Program for rural, small, and tribal publicly owned treatment works. Water Quality Action Specialists (WQAS) provide classroom training in rural and disadvantaged communities for wastewater personnel. System managers and operators have the opportunity to receive formal training on topics such as effective utility management, regulatory requirements, and financial and managerial capacity concepts and practices.
- WQAS also provide onsite training that is dedicated to being in-person at rural, small, disadvantaged and tribal wastewater systems.
Tribal Community Wastewater Technical Assistance Program
- Tribal Community Wastewater Program for Technical Assistance focuses specifically on tribes for planning, developing, and acquiring financing, improving water quality, achieving and maintaining compliance, and/or supporting emerging contaminants project development.
- Water Quality Action Specialists (WQAS) nationwide carry out community-driven tribal wastewater solutions projects, and in-person technical assistance to tribal communities. Tribal communities who participate in the projects have the opportunity to perform assessments and identify local priorities and solutions, as well as identify available financial resources to support management of wastewater infrastructures.
Technical Assistance for Small and Rural Decentralized Wastewater Systems
- Decentralized Systems Program Technical Assistance focuses specifically on decentralized wastewater treatment systems to support planning, development, and acquisition finance.
- Water Quality Action Specialists (WQAS) nationwide carry out community-driven wastewater solutions projects, and in-person technical assistance to small, rural, and disadvantaged communities. Rural communities who participate in the projects have the opportunity to perform assessments and identify local priorities and solutions, and as well as identify available financial resources to support management of wastewater infrastructures.
Training and Technical Assistance for Wastewater Lagoons
- Wastewater Lagoon Systems Program for information dissemination, training, and technical assistance to support planning, development, and acquisition of finance, to improve water quality, and to achieve and maintain compliance.
- Water Quality Action Specialists (WQAS) provide a nationwide training and technical assistance (T/TA) program for municipalities, tribal governments, and publicly owned treatment works that use lagoon wastewater treatment systems. This program supports these entities with planning, developing, and acquiring finance to improve water quality and achieve and maintain compliance.
The Clean Water Act (CWA)
The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. The basis of the CWA was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, but the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972. “Clean Water Act” became the Act’s common name with amendments in 1972.
Under the CWA, EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for the industry. EPA has also developed national water quality criteria recommendations for pollutants in surface waters. Information courtesy of the U.S. EPA. For more information on the Clean Water Act, visit the U.S. EPA’s website.
