Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73not60

§1302 Wastewater Efficiency Grant Pilot Program

Title 33 › Chapter 26— WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter II— GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TREATMENT WORKS › § 1302

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

If money is available, the Administrator must create a pilot grant program to help publicly owned wastewater treatment plants build or improve systems that turn waste into energy. Owners or operators of those plants can apply in the way the Administrator requires. The Administrator will pick no more than 15 winners. Each grant can be up to $4,000,000. Grants can pay for things like sludge handling, anaerobic digesters, methane capture or transfer, facility upgrades, and other proven waste-to-energy technologies. Grant recipients must report to the Administrator within 2 years of getting the money and each year after (when funds are available) about the project’s effects on communities within 3 miles. The Administrator must report to Congress within 1 year after the first awards and each year after (when funds are available) on the applications received and projects funded. Congress authorized $20,000,000 for each fiscal year 2022 through 2026, available until spent, and up to 2% of that money may be used for administrative costs.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §1302

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall establish a wastewater efficiency grant pilot program (referred to in this section as the “pilot program”) to award grants to owners or operators of publicly owned treatment works to carry out projects that create or improve waste-to-energy systems.

(b)(1)To be eligible to receive a grant under the pilot program, an owner or operator of a treatment works shall submit to the Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may require.

(2)The Administrator shall select not more than 15 recipients of grants under the pilot program from applications submitted under paragraph (1).

(c)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), a recipient of a grant under the pilot program may use grant funds for—

(A)sludge collection;

(B)installation of anaerobic digesters;

(C)methane capture;

(D)methane transfer;

(E)facility upgrades and retrofits necessary to create or improve waste-to-energy systems; and

(F)other new and emerging, but proven, technologies that transform waste to energy.

(2)A grant to a recipient under the pilot program shall be not more than $4,000,000.

(d)(1)Not later than 2 years after receiving a grant under the pilot program and each year thereafter for which amounts are made available for the pilot program under subsection (e), the recipient of the grant shall submit to the Administrator a report describing the impact of that project on the communities within 3 miles of the treatment works.

(2)Not later than 1 year after first awarding grants under the pilot program and each year thereafter for which amounts are made available for the pilot program under subsection (e), the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report describing—

(A)the applications received by the Administrator for grants under the pilot program; and

(B)the projects for which grants were awarded under the pilot program.

(e)(1)There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the pilot program $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, to remain available until expended.

(2)Of the amounts made available for grants under paragraph (1), not more than 2 percent may be used to pay the administrative costs of the Administrator.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 1302

Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60