Thursday, April 23, 2026 |
Photo – Rawlins Water Treatment Facility – Bigfoot99 file photo
The federal government is helping rural communities cover the cost to meet water‑compliance standards.
On March 4th, the Environmental Protection Agency launched the Real Water Technical Assistance initiative. EPA Region Eight Administrator Cyrus Western said that in the mountains and plains regions, water is a significant concern. Larger municipalities, such as Casper and Laramie, have dedicated staff to ensure residents have access to safe and reliable drinking water. Western said smaller towns may not have the money or staff to properly maintain their water systems.
In response to those concerns, the EPA set aside nearly $31 million to help small and rural communities meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water acts. Western said through the Real Water Technical Assistance initiative, the federal government will provide funding for compliance training.
Western said meeting the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act can be a daunting task for smaller communities. The regional EPA administrator said the federal grant program will provide the training and resources needed to keep drinking water in those communities clean and safe.
Bigfoot99 asked if the City of Rawlins can use Real Water Technical Assistance funding to rehabilitate its aging water infrastructure. Western replied that the money is primarily for training, adding that proper training can help address maintenance issues.
Western said the EPA compliance training can be done online.
Municipalities have until May 13th to visit Grants.gov and submit an application for Real Water Technical Assistance funding. The grant is titled Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water.
The federal tax dollars allow applicants to request up to $13 million. Private well owners may also apply for up to $3.4 million in federal grant funding. Entities must contribute a 10 percent grant match.
For more information about the Real Water Technical Assistance initiative, email waterta@epa.gov.
