The Technical Assistance and Training for Innovative Regional Wastewater Treatment Solutions (TAT/RWTS) Grant Pilot Program has been established for the study and design of innovative treatment solutions of regional wastewater systems for historically impoverished communities that have had difficulty installing traditional wastewater treatment systems due to to soil conditions. Qualified regional consortiums will receive TAT/RWTS grant funds to identify and evaluate economically feasible innovative regional solutions to wastewater treatment concerns for historically impoverished communities in areas which have had difficulty installing traditional wastewater treatment systems due to soil conditions. Grants are for wastewater-related technical assistance, including such services as feasibility studies, preliminary design assistance and supervision, oversight, or training for the development of an application for financial assistance.
Current Closing Date for Applications: Nov 04, 2020
Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,000,000
Agency Name: Utilities Programs
Description: Funds must be used to identify and evaluate economically feasible innovative regional solutions to wastewater treatment concerns for historically impoverished communities in areas which have had difficulty installing traditional wastewater treatment systems due to soil conditions. The work product must be related to the aforementioned purpose and be related to a proposed project that meets the following requirements: 1) MUST be regional in scope; and be for one of the following: 2) to construct, enlarge, extend or otherwise improve rural wastewater facilities; or 3) to construct or relocate public buildings, roads, bridges, fences, or utilities; and to make other public improvements necessary for the successful operation or protection of facilities authorized in paragraph 2) of this section; or 4) to relocate private buildings, roads, bridges, fences or utilities, and to make other private improvements necessary for the successful operation or protection of facilities authorized in paragraph 2) of this section.
Funds may not be used to: 1) fund political or lobbying activities; 2) pay for work already completed; 3) purchase real estate or vehicles, improve or renovate office space, or repair and maintain privately owned property; 4) construct or furnish a building; 5) intervene in the Federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings; 6) sue the Federal Government or any other government entities; 7) pay for any other costs that are not allowable under 2 CFR part 200, as adopted by USDA through 2 CFR part 400; 8) make contributions or donations to others; 9) fund projects that duplicate technical assistance given to implement action plans under the National Forest Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act of 1990(7 U.S.C 6613). Applicants cannot receive both grants made under this part and grants that the Forest Service makes to implement the action plans for five continuous years from the date of grant approval by the Forest Services; 10) to pay an outstanding judgment obtained by the United States in a Federal Court (other than in the United States Tax Court), which has been recorded. An applicant will be ineligible to receive a grant until the judgment is paid in full or otherwise satisfied; and 11) any project that creates a conflict of interest of an appearance of a conflict of interest.
An organization is eligible to receive a TAT/RWTS grant if it: 1) is a consortium (regional institutions of higher education, academic health and research institutes, or economic development entities, or combination thereof, located in the region identified to be served that have experience in addressing these issues in the region); 2) is legally established and located within one of the following: a) A state within the United States; b) The District of Columbia; c) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; or d) A United States territory; 3) has the legal capacity and authority to carry out the grant purpose; 4) has no delinquent debt to the federal government or no outstanding judgments to repay a Federal debt; 5) demonstrates that it possesses the financial, technical, and managerial capability to comply with federal and state laws and requirements; and, 6) is not a corporation that has been convicted of a felony (or had an officer or agent acting on behalf of the corporation convicted of a felony) within the past 24 months. Any corporation that has any unpaid federal tax liability that has been assessed for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability is not eligible.