Wastewater

This is an archived program. Resources are still available although grant funding has ended.

The EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management funded outreach efforts by NACCHO and the National Association of Counties (NACo) to increase county officials’ knowledge of onsite decentralized wastewater systems.

The program assessed the need for cities and counties to reduce pollution from onsite decentralized wastewater systems and determined ways to increase their responsibilities in this area. The assessment gathered and disseminated information through NACCHO and NACo outreach mechanisms, including conference workshops, advisory committees, Web sites, and NACo’s annual county operations survey. Additionally, the program provided grant money to officials for model management practices, policies, and educational programs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

»	Wastewater Management Grants
	NACCHO, in partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo), provided grants and technical assistance to local governments to improve onsite decentralized wastewater management in 2001. Grant money assisted local governments in conducting an assessment of their communities' wastewater management needs and creating an action plan that addressed those needs. Five counties in Ohio, Minnesota, Colorado, Louisiana, and New Mexico were awarded $8,000 for their wastewater management projects. Members of the NACo/NACCHO Wastewater Work Group selected winning projects from a pool of highly competitive proposals. The work group reviewing the proposals was composed of local government and health officials from around the country who were experts in local wastewater management.

»	Regional Trainings
	Between late fall 2002 and early spring 2003, three statewide, half-day trainings were held in conjunction with state associations of local public health agencies and/or state associations of local elected officials. The trainings provided an overview of the EPA Wastewater Management Guidelines, identified the benefits of developing a wastewater management system, and provided guidance on working with the community when developing locally appropriate wastewater management plans.