Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73not60

§1302b Small and Medium Publicly Owned Treatment Works Circuit Rider Program

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

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The EPA Administrator must set up a "circuit rider" program no later than 180 days after November 15, 2021, if money is available. The program gives grants to qualified nonprofit groups chosen by the EPA to help owners and operators of small and medium public wastewater treatment plants do the kinds of technical and operational work listed in 33 U.S.C. 1382(b)(13). Each grant can be no more than $75,000. The EPA must give priority to nonprofits serving communities that for at least 10 years have had unresolved wastewater or stormwater problems, are financially distressed, face combined overflow burdens, or could not get Federal technical help because of cost-sharing rules. Grant recipients must talk with the State before using the funds. The EPA must report to Congress every 2 years on who got grants and what was done. Congress authorized $10,000,000 for fiscal years 2022–2026, and up to 2% of that can pay EPA administrative costs.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §1302b

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Subject to the availability of appropriations, not later than 180 days after November 15, 2021, the Administrator shall establish a circuit rider program (referred to in this section as the “circuit rider program”) under which the Administrator shall award grants to qualified nonprofit entities, as determined by the Administrator, to provide assistance to owners and operators of small and medium publicly owned treatment works to carry out the activities described in section 1382(b)(13) of this title.

(b)A grant provided under the circuit rider program shall be in an amount that is not more than $75,000.

(c)In selecting recipients of grants under the circuit rider program, the Administrator shall give priority to qualified nonprofit entities, as determined by the Administrator, that would serve a community that—

(1)has a history, for not less than the 10 years prior to the award of the grant, of unresolved wastewater issues, stormwater issues, or a combination of wastewater and stormwater issues;

(2)is considered financially distressed;

(3)faces the cumulative burden of stormwater and wastewater overflow issues; or

(4)has previously failed to access Federal technical assistance due to cost-sharing requirements.

(d)Each qualified nonprofit entity that receives funding under this section shall, before using that funding to undertake activities to carry out this section, consult with the State in which the assistance is to be expended or otherwise made available.

(e)Not later than 2 years after the date on which the Administrator establishes the circuit rider program, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report describing—

(1)each recipient of a grant under the circuit rider program; and

(2)a summary of the activities carried out under the circuit rider program.

(f)(1)There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

(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. § 1302b

Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60