S. 518 – Small and Rural Community Clean Water Technical Assistance Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 1:36 PM UTC

The Small and Rural Community Clean Water Technical Assistance Act amends the Clean Water Act to create a program that gives technical help to small and medium publicly owned wastewater treatment plants. It sets up nonprofit providers to deliver on‑site assistance, training, and support so these plants can meet federal water‑quality rules and obtain financing. The bill directs new funding and lets states use a small portion of existing loan‑fund money for this purpose.

Key Provisions

Defines “small treatment works” as publicly owned plants serving 10,000 or fewer people, and “medium treatment works” as those serving 10,001‑75,000 people.
Creates Section 222, authorizing the EPA Administrator to award grants or cooperative agreements to qualified nonprofit providers that give technical assistance to small treatment works.
Creates Section 223, similarly authorizing assistance for medium treatment works.
Provides up to $15 million per year (FY 2018‑2022) for small‑work assistance and $10 million per year (FY 2018‑2022) for medium‑work assistance.
Amends the Water Pollution Control Revolving Loan Fund rules to let each state use an extra 2 percent of its annual allocation for these technical‑assistance activities.

Legislative Activity

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5 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 89.

May 17, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 2, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environment and Public Works Committee

March 2, 2017

SenateCommittee

Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-12.

Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee

March 28, 2017

SenateCommittee

Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Environment and Public Works Committee

April 5, 2017

SenateCommittee

Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Barrasso with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-71.

Environment and Public Works Committee

May 17, 2017

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 89.

May 17, 2017

Bill Text

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Reported to SenateIssued May 17, 2017

II

Calendar No. 89

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 518

[Report No. 115–71]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 2, 2017

Mr. Wicker (for himself, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Franken, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Risch, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Tester, Mr. Enzi, and Mrs. Capito) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

May 17, 2017

Reported by Mr. Barrasso, with an amendment

Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic

A BILL

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for technical assistance for small treatment works.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Small and Rural Community Clean Water Technical Assistance Act.

2.

Technical assistance for small treatment works

(a)

In general

Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

222.

Technical assistance for small treatment works

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance provider

The term qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance provider means a nonprofit organization that, as determined by the Administrator—

(A)

is qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small treatment works; and

(B)

the small treatment works in the State finds to be the most beneficial and effective.

(2)

Small treatment works

The term small treatment works means a publicly owned treatment works serving not more than 10,000 individuals.

(b)

Technical assistance

The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance providers to provide to owners and operators of small treatment works onsite technical assistance, circuit rider technical assistance programs, multi-State, regional technical assistance programs, and onsite and regional training, to assist the small treatment works in achieving compliance with this Act or obtaining financing under this Act for eligible projects.

(c)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section for grants for small treatment works technical assistance, $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.

.

(b)

Water pollution control revolving loan funds

(1)

In general

Section 603 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383) is amended—

(A)

in subsection (d)—

(i)

in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting and as provided in subsection (e) after State law;

(ii)

by redesignating subsections (e) through (i) as subsections (f) through (j), respectively; and

(iii)

by inserting after subsection (d) the following:

(e)

Additional use of funds

A State may use an additional 2 percent of the funds annually allotted to the State under this section for qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance providers (as the term is defined in section 222) to provide technical assistance to small treatment works (as the term is defined in section 222) in the State.

.

(2)

Conforming amendment

Section 221(d) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301(d)) is amended by striking section 603(h) and inserting section 603(i).

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Small and Rural Community Clean Water Technical Assistance Act.

2.

Technical assistance for small treatment works

(a)

In general

Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

222.

Technical assistance for small treatment works

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance provider

The term qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance provider means a nonprofit organization that, as determined by the Administrator—

(A)

is qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small treatment works; and

(B)

the small treatment works in the State finds to be the most beneficial and effective.

(2)

Small treatment works

The term small treatment works means a publicly owned treatment works serving not more than 10,000 individuals.

(b)

Technical assistance

The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance providers to provide to owners and operators of small treatment works onsite technical assistance, circuit rider technical assistance programs, multi-State, regional technical assistance programs, and onsite and regional training, to assist the small treatment works in achieving compliance with this Act or obtaining financing under this Act for eligible projects.

(c)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section for grants for small treatment works technical assistance, $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.

223.

Technical assistance for medium treatment works

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Medium treatment works

The term medium treatment works means a publicly owned treatment works serving not fewer than 10,001, and not more than 75,000, individuals.

(2)

Qualified nonprofit medium treatment works technical assistance provider

The term qualified nonprofit medium treatment works technical assistance provider means a qualified nonprofit technical assistance provider of water and wastewater services to medium-sized communities that provides technical assistance (including circuit rider technical assistance programs, multi-State, regional assistance programs, and training and preliminary engineering evaluations) to owners and operators of medium treatment works, which may include a State agency.

(b)

Technical assistance

The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to qualified nonprofit medium treatment works technical assistance providers to provide to owners and operators of medium treatment works onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multi-State, regional technical assistance programs, and onsite and regional training to assist medium treatment works that are facing difficulty in achieving compliance with this Act or obtaining financing under this Act for eligible projects.

(c)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.

.

(b)

Water pollution control revolving loan funds

(1)

In general

Section 603 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383) is amended—

(A)

in subsection (d)—

(i)

in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting and as provided in subsection (e) after State law;

(ii)

by redesignating subsections (e) through (i) as subsections (f) through (j), respectively; and

(iii)

by inserting after subsection (d) the following:

(e)

Additional use of funds

A State may use an additional 2 percent of the funds annually allotted to the State under this section for qualified nonprofit small treatment works technical assistance providers (as the term is defined in section 222) and qualified nonprofit medium treatment works technical assistance providers (as the term in defined in section 223) to provide technical assistance to small treatment works (as the term is defined in section 222) and medium treatment works (as the term is defined in section 223) in the State.

.

(2)

Conforming amendment

Section 221(d) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301(d)) is amended by striking section 603(h) and inserting section 603(i).

May 17, 2017

Reported with an amendment