- The Environmental Protection Agency announced the grant money on July 24, 2026.
- The funds support small and rural drinking water and wastewater systems.
- Three national organizations will share the money to provide hands-on help.
Small towns across the country work hard to keep their tap water clean, and last week they got a boost. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
said on July 24, 2026, that it will send about $30 million to help small and rural communities meet federal water standards.
Training and Know-How, Not New Pipes.
The money comes from an Environmental Protection Agency program called the Real Water Technical Assistance Initiative. Rather than paying for new pipes or treatment plants, the grant pays for training and expert advice. The idea is to build up the skills that keep a water system running well.
That help falls into three areas the agency calls technical, managerial, and financial. In plain terms, it covers how to run the equipment, how to manage the system, and how to keep the budget healthy, including setting fair water rates.
Jessica Kramer, the agency’s Assistant Administrator for Water, said small communities face special hurdles. “Small and rural communities are the backbone of this great country, and it’s no secret that water systems serving these areas can face unique challenges with delivering clean and safe water that their communities rely on,” she said.
Who the Money Reaches.
The grant will support small public drinking water systems, small publicly owned wastewater systems, and smaller setups that treat wastewater close to home. It will also help private well owners test and improve their water. That includes checking for lead, testing for PFAS (a group of long-lasting man-made chemicals), and finding lead service lines, which are older pipes that can leak lead into drinking water.
Three Groups Will Do the Work.
The agency said it expects to award the grants once legal and paperwork requirements are met. The money will be split three ways.
The National Rural Water Association is set to receive $9.1 million. It will offer training and troubleshooting help, and work to make long-term asset planning a normal habit for small systems.
The Rural Community Assistance Partnership is in line for the largest share, about $14.58 million. It will train operators, board members, and managers, help systems fix compliance problems, and support private well owners.
The Southwest Environmental Finance Center at the University of New Mexico is expected to receive about $7.02 million. Its work includes asset management plans, checks on a system’s financial health, lead pipe inventories, and training on PFAS rules and treatment.
Voices From the Field.
Leaders at the three groups welcomed the funding. Matthew Holmes, chief executive of the National Rural Water Association, described the effort as “a back-to-basics approach to technical assistance, using proven and efficient methods.”
Olga Morales-Pate, chief executive of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, said many small utilities “operate with limited capacity, aging assets, and tight financial resources, making it difficult to balance daily operational needs with long-term sustainability.”
Heather Himmelberger, who directs the Southwest Environmental Finance Center, said her team brings “traditional and innovative approaches to help water systems build” their capacity and stay in compliance.
A Long-Running Program.
The grant is not new. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the program has provided more than $200 million to training and technical assistance providers since 2012.
The agency said the Real Water Technical Assistance effort focuses on public health, compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, accountability for the providers, and real-world results for the communities they serve.
