§300j–19f Operational Sustainability of Small Public Water Systems

Summary

Creates a grant program to help small public water systems run better and waste less water. Eligible groups that can apply include states; local governments; public or nonprofit water companies or trusts; Indian Tribes; nonprofit groups that give technical help; and Tribal consortia. Operational sustainability means finding and stopping loss of drinking water from leaks, breaks, bad meters, or other faults. A "small system" is one that serves fewer than 10,000 people and is run by a local government, public or nonprofit corporation, public trust, cooperative, or Indian Tribe. The program is set up only if money is available. Applicants must send a project plan that explains the problems to be fixed, how the project will improve operations, and how the work and any asset data will be kept up after the project ends. Before money is paid, recipients must agree to share any data collected either with the State agency that runs the State drinking water treatment revolving loan fund or with the EPA, depending on where they are. Grant money can pay for making detailed asset lists and maps (including GIS/GPS), leak and meter technology, training, water reuse tools, and other approved tools or methods. The federal share is 90 percent of project costs, but the EPA can raise it to 100 percent. The EPA had to report to Congress within 2 years after November 15, 2021 about how the program was used. Up to $50,000,000 is authorized for each fiscal year 2022 through 2026.