EPA Safe Drinking Water Grant: $30.7 Million for Training and Technical Assistance (FY 2026)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $30.7 million in competitive cooperative agreement funding for organizations that provide training and technical assistance to small public water systems, small publicly-owned wastewater systems, and private drinking water well owners. Authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, this program supports the EPA's mission to ensure clean, safe water for every American — with particular urgency around new PFAS regulations, Lead and Copper Rule updates, and aging rural water infrastructure.

Program Overview

This NOFO funds cooperative agreements with nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to provide direct, hands-on training and technical assistance to help communities comply with drinking water and clean water regulations. Selected recipients will work nationally — covering all 50 states, U.S. territories, and Tribally-owned systems — through a combination of face-to-face and remote training approaches.

Three National Priority Areas

Funding is distributed across three National Priority Areas (NPAs). Each application must address only one NPA, and applicants may not submit more than one application per NPA.

NPA 1: Small Public Water Systems — SDWA Compliance ($26 Million)

The largest priority area funds training and technical assistance for small public water systems (PWSs) to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, including building their technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) capabilities. Up to 3 awards are anticipated, ranging from $8 million to $13 million each.

Key focus areas include:

• PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation compliance
• Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
• Operator training in regulatory requirements and water system operations
• Financial and managerial capability building (rate-setting, fiscal controls, budgeting)
• Asset management programs and infrastructure planning
• Water system resilience to natural disasters and cybersecurity threats
• Customer assistance program development
• Source water protection plans

NPA 2: Small Wastewater Systems ($1.25 Million)

1 award is anticipated for up to $1,250,000. Applications under this priority area must address both of the following elements or they will be rejected:

• Element (a): Training and technical assistance for small publicly-owned wastewater systems (permitted and actual flows under 1 million gallons per day, publicly owned or serving Tribal communities)
• Element (b): Training and technical assistance for onsite/decentralized wastewater systems (privately- or publicly-owned systems used to collect, treat, and disperse wastewater from small communities)

Focus areas include compliance with discharge permits, sustainable management, energy efficiency, asset management, and rate structure development.

NPA 3: Private Drinking Water Well Owners ($3.45 Million)

1 award is anticipated for up to $3,450,000. Approximately 30 million Americans receive their drinking water from private wells, which are not regulated under the SDWA. This priority area funds training and assistance covering:

• Well construction, operation, and maintenance
• Well testing and ground water quality and protection
• Emergency response for well contamination events
• Identifying funding sources to improve water quality
• Options for connecting private wells to public water systems

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to:

• Nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) or equivalent)
• Public institutions of higher education (IHEs)
• Nonprofit private universities and colleges

The following are not eligible to apply:

• For-profit organizations
• State governments and municipalities
• Tribal governments
• Individuals
• Organizations engaged in lobbying activities (as defined in the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995)

Coalitions of eligible organizations may apply jointly. The coalition must designate a single eligible organization as the pass-through entity responsible for fund management and reporting.

Cost Sharing

All applicants must provide a minimum non-federal cost-share/match of 10% of the total federal funding requested. The match may be provided in cash or in-kind contributions, including:

• Volunteer and donated time
• Equipment and expertise
• Salaries (at minimum wage or fair market value)

Applicants that do not demonstrate how they will meet the 10% match requirement will not be considered for funding. Other federal grants may not be used as cost-share/match without specific statutory authority.

Review Criteria (100 Points)

Applications are scored by EPA reviewers on a 100-point scale across six criteria:

The two highest-weighted criteria are Providing Training on a National Basis and Programmatic Capability — each worth 26 points. Together they account for more than half the total score.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and include:

Mandatory Documents

1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
2. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)
3. EPA Key Contacts Form 5700-54
4. EPA Form 4700-4 Preaward Compliance Review Report
5. Project Narrative Attachment Form (for the Project Narrative)

Optional Documents

• Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement (if applicable)
• Letters of Support (up to 15 — do not count against page limit)
• Biographical Sketches of key staff

Project Narrative Requirements

The Project Narrative is limited to 13 single-spaced pages (8.5x11 inches), including cover page and executive summary. Pages beyond 13 will not be reviewed. The narrative must address:

• Cover page with project title, NPA, applicant name, contacts, and total costs
• Executive summary (1 page max)
• Workplan: approach to the NPA, national training delivery strategy, environmental results and measurement plan
• Milestone schedule and detailed budget narrative
• Programmatic capability, organizational experience, and staff qualifications
• Past performance on up to 5 federally funded agreements within the last 3 years

Do not name specific contractors or consultants unless they have been competitively procured. EPA will not consider qualifications of named contractors during evaluation unless competitive procurement documentation is provided.

Tips for a Competitive Application

1. Maximize National Reach

The "Providing Training on a National Basis" criterion is worth 26 points — the joint highest. Demonstrate your ability to deliver face-to-face and remote training in all 50 states, territories, and to Tribally-owned systems. Show a realistic plan for geographic coverage, not just ambition.

2. Lead with Tribal Outreach

Tribal system outreach alone is worth 7 points within the national basis criterion. Describe specific strategies for reaching Tribally-owned and operated water systems — partnerships, cultural competency, existing tribal relationships.

3. Show Organizational Depth

Programmatic Capability is also worth 26 points. Include detailed biographical sketches, FTE estimates, and concrete evidence of your infrastructure to manage a multi-million dollar nationwide program. Letters of support from state regulators or potential recipients of technical assistance carry significant weight (5 points).

4. Address PFAS and Lead Regulations Explicitly

For NPA 1 applicants, EPA specifically calls out the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. Show how your training approach directly addresses these newer regulatory requirements.

5. Demonstrate Measurable Environmental Results

The Environmental Results criterion (16 points) requires well-defined outputs and outcomes linked to EPA's Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American. Be specific about how many systems you'll assist, what measurable compliance improvements you expect, and how you'll track progress.

6. For NPA 2, Address Both Required Elements

Applications for NPA 2 that fail to address both wastewater elements — small publicly-owned systems AND onsite/decentralized systems — will be rejected outright. Make sure both are substantively covered, not just mentioned.

Registration Requirements

Applicants must have active registrations before submitting:

• Active SAM.gov registration with a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
• Grants.gov account with authorized submission roles

SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin immediately if your organization is not already registered.

Contact Information

• Technical & Eligibility Contact: Brianna Knoppow, SmallSystemsRFA@EPA.gov
• Grants.gov Help: 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov
• Questions Deadline: April 27, 2026, 11:59 PM ET — responses will be posted on the EPA website

How Avila Can Help

EPA cooperative agreements for water system training require applicants to demonstrate national reach, detailed workplans with measurable environmental outputs, competitive procurement compliance, and a 13-page narrative that covers six scored criteria — all under a tight 30-day application window. For nonprofits and universities already stretched across multiple grant programs, building a competitive application in this timeframe is a significant challenge.

Avila's AI-powered platform helps organizations streamline the grant application process by:

• Analyzing NOFOs to identify scored criteria and threshold eligibility requirements
• Drafting narrative sections aligned to point-weighted evaluation factors
• Tracking deadlines across multiple federal grant programs
• Managing the complete grant lifecycle from discovery to closeout

Ready to see how Avila can support your EPA water training application? Book a demo to learn more about our platform.

For more information on federal grant applications, see our guides on federal grant writing, SAM.gov registration, and Grants.gov registration. For other federal funding opportunities, check out our guides to the FTA Ferry Grant Programs and the SS4A Grant Program.