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Greetings!
Sharing a weekly list of federal water resources with a municipal/utility focus.
Looking for something specific? Need help getting to the right contact or information? Let me help you find it! I can help narrow this list for your project and I also often have additional resources to share not listed here. Learn more about EPA’s Office of the Municipal Ombudsman. Please reach out to municipalombudsman@epa.gov (Do not reply to this e-mail).
Note: Newer items are included in this weekly list, for a more comprehensive list of resources please visit Municipal Resources.
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Press Releases/News
Resources
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EPA's Proposed Rule: Reconsideration of 2009 Endangerment Finding and Greenhouse Gas Vehicle Standards. Comment period EXTENDED - Comments must be received on or before September 22, 2025.
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EPA Reopens Comment Period for North Dakota Coal Ash Permit Program Proposal. On August 11, 2025, EPA reopened the comment period to propose the Agency’s approval of additional revisions to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality’s Coal Combustion Residuals permit program. These additions would provide North Dakota with additional authority to implement their CCR permit program. EPA is reopening the comment period to accept comments on the proposed revisions and EPA’s evaluation of the changes. Submit your comments on or before August 26, 2025.
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EPA Proposes Extensions to the Deadlines for Coal Combustion Residuals Management Units and Schedules Public Hearing. EPA will hold an online public hearing about this proposed rulemaking on September 12, 2025, starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. For more information and to register to speak at or attend virtually, visit the public hearing webpage. The current comment period closes August 21, 2025. EPA is working on reopening the comment period until September 15, 2025.
- GAO Report: Water Infrastructure Resilience: Agencies Could Better Assess Efforts to Assist Communities Vulnerable to Natural Disasters
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council is taking comments & suggestions from the public. Email: FEMAReviewCouncil@hq.dhs.gov. The goal of the FEMA Review Council is to advise the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, on the existing ability of FEMA to capably and impartially address disasters
- See more at Municipal Resources - General Resources
Webcasts/Workshops
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August 26: DOE's Better Buildings Webcasts: Value Stacking: Financial Metrics to Fully Assess Energy Project Impacts. Common financial analysis metrics such as simple payback period and return on investment (ROI) do not fully capture the costs and benefits of projects. This webinar will present a holistic financial assessment framework and highlight partner experiences in leveraging various financial metrics to build a strong case for energy efficiency initiatives.
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August 28: WaterNow Alliance [external with federal participation] hosts a Green Infrastructure for Small Water Systems: Approaches and Technical Assistance. Robyn DeYoung, EPA and Travis Ostrom, EPA are guest presenters to show how green infrastructure can benefit small communities and where to get more community assistance.
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September 10: EPA's Water Workforce Webinar on Enhancing the Careers of Water Utility Administrative Professionals. This webinar will focus on an innovative initiative led by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) in partnership with Water Finance Assistance and others to provide leadership and management training and a certificate to water and wastewater utility administrative professionals. This certification program will provide administrative professionals with a set of skills to better prepare them to make informed decisions, effectively manage resources, and add more value to their utility. PDHs available.
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September 12: EPA's Public Hearing on the Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Management Unit Deadline Extension Proposed Rule. In response to requests for a public hearing and a comment period extension, EPA is working on extending the public comment period for this rulemaking to allow for a public hearing.
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September 16-18: Registration Open for Area of Concern Cross-Agency Partnership Summit hosted by EPA and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission in Toledo, Ohio - This three-day meeting is open to government officials, businesses, industries, universities, and other interested community members working toward restoring Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The program allows partners to network, participate in engaging program planning sessions, take field trips, and contribute to the long-term success of the program.
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September 17: EPA's Managing Your Roadway Stormwater Assets to Reduce Pollution, Achieve Water Quality Objectives, and Protect Communities from Flooding. Stormwater assets are vulnerable to system failures that cause upsets, flooding, and system damage if they are not properly maintained and upgraded when necessary. Cities, counties, and states manage roadway stormwater assets to keep waterways clean and prevent localized flooding. Stormwater asset management planning is a proven approach that helps provide reliable levels of service to customers, helps plan system renewal and upgrades, and minimizes the total cost of owning and operating the assets. In this webinar, speakers from three state Departments of Transportation will showcase a variety of approaches to stormwater asset management in the roadway context.
- See more at Municipal Resources - Webcasts
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Federal Funding
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Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is making approximately $2.5 million in funding available for the 2025 LDD Community Support Pilot Program, a noncompetitive grant opportunity providing capacity-building and community support resources to Local Development Districts (LDDs) within the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. This program targets capacity-building and community support resources to LDDs that are helping economically distressed, isolated areas of distress, and persistent poverty communities navigate federal, state, and other resources that impact economic and community development. The program is designed to enhance the region’s resiliency and ability to compete for and leverage resources. The $2.5 million is open to the 45 LDDs serving communities within the 255 counties and parishes of the DRA eight-state service region. Apply by September 26, 2025.
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EPA’s Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program. This grant program assists medium and large size public water systems with protecting drinking water sources from natural hazards, extreme weather events, and cybersecurity threats. Eligible applicants for this grant program include public water systems that serve a population of 10,000 people or more. Press release: EPA Announces Availability of $9 Million to Protect Drinking Water from Natural Hazards and Cybersecurity Threats. Funding will help advance new Water Sector Cybersecurity Recommendations. Apply by October 6, 2025.
CLOSING SOON
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DOE's Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas – Fiscal Year 2025 Release. Rural and remote areas often have higher energy costs and burden, less resilient energy systems, and fewer alternatives for accessing clean energy compared with their urban counterparts. Furthermore, small communities do not always have the available time, money, or other resources to pursue clean energy options. This program serves communities of 10,000 people or fewer. Application deadline August 28, 2025.
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USDA's Rural Housing Preservation Grant. Provides qualified public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, which may include but not be limited to, Faith-Based and Community Organizations, and other eligible entities grant funds to assist very low- and low-income homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. In addition, the HPG program assists rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes in repairing and rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such units available to low- and very low-income persons. Apply by September 4, 2025.
- USFWS' 2025 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program. Pre-proposals are due on September 4, 2025. Apply by Dec 15, 2025.
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USFWS' FY2025 Golden Mussel Prevention and Control in the Western United States. Funds projects in the listed principle areas of the Western United States towards the fulfillment of the top priorities similar to those identified in the State of California's Golden Mussel Response Framework (April 14, 2025). Apply by September 17, 2025,
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EPA's Innovative Solutions for Improving Water Quality and Strengthening Local Economies in the Gulf of America Watershed. applications to improve water quality and/or Gulf habitat through nutrient reduction and/or mitigation of harmful algal blooms (“HABs”), including Sargassum Inundation Events, via demonstration projects that are enhanced by innovative technology. Applications must align with the Administration’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative and align with EPA statutory authorities. Activities must take place in the Gulf of America watershed within the contiguous United States. Apply by September 19, 2025.
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EPA's FY 2026 Brownfields Job Training Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)has been published, and a public outreach webinar about the NOFO will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 1:00PM ET / 10:00AM PT. View more details on the FY 2026 Brownfields Job Training Grants web page. Apply by September 26, 2025
This list only includes newly added items or reminders of those expiring soon, see more at Municipal Resources - Federal Funding
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Technical Assistance
- EPA offers free Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) (Emerging Contaminants like PFAS, services to support small or disadvantaged communities. These services include diagnostic water quality sampling, preliminary treatment design, and identifying solutions for contamination issues. TEC WaterTA can provide assistance with addressing concerns with any of the contaminants listed in any of the EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCLs). Examples include PFOA, PFOS, perchlorate, manganese, 1,4-dioxane, and others. TEC WaterTA cannot address contaminants for which the EPA has set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) under the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) other than PFAS.
- EPA's Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Initiative – Seeking New Communities. EPA’s free technical assistance initiative, Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap, is seeking communities in need of help with failing septic systems or total lack of wastewater infrastructure (i.e. straight pipes). This is an opportunity for no-cost assistance to address longstanding wastewater infrastructure failures in small and rural communities across the country and connect those communities to an unprecedented amount of funding still available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. If your community, or one you know of, needs assistance – please complete this short form to request assistance to see if you qualify.
- EPA’s Office of the Municipal Ombudsman provides a unique service specifically for utilities/municipalities in identifying technical assistance opportunities, brainstorming federal funding options, clean water act flexibilities, integrated planning assistance, navigating EPA’s programs and more. Please reach out to municipalombudsman@epa.gov or 202-564-1709 to discuss your projects, permits, or other clean water concerns today - Happy to schedule a time to connect and discuss how our office might assist!
- EPA’s Water Technical Assistance Page includes a one-stop-shop EPA water technical assistance request form where communities can request no-cost direct water technical assistance to evaluate their drinking water, wastewater, stormwater infrastructure, and water quality improvement needs. Communities will be selected on a rolling basis
- See more at Municipal Resources - Technical Assistance
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Meet with the Municipal Ombudsman
Take care,
Jamie Piziali, Municipal Ombudsman
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Municipal Ombudsman is an independent, impartial, and confidential resource to assist municipalities in navigating clean water. Learn more at www.epa.gov/ocir/municipal-ombudsman
Note: Please reach out to funding agencies or program managers directly for updates regarding specific grants, funding cycles, technical assistance, and status of NOFOs. Many agencies have their Requests for Applications (RFAs) and assistance programs under review.
The information in this publication comes from many resources and federal listservs. See more on our Municipal Resources page.
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