Capacity Development for Small Water Systems
The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) place strong emphasis on technical capacity, managerial capacity, and financial capacity as integral components of the implementation strategies of the Act. The Amendments create a focus on enhancing and ensuring the technical, financial, and managerial capacity of water systems to comply with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs). To avoid reduction in its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) allotment, each State is required to obtain legal authority or other means to ensure that new systems have adequate capacity, and to develop and implement a strategy to assist existing systems in acquiring and maintaining capacity [SDWA Amendments Section 1420.(a) &(c)].
The unit is responsible for working with/supporting states to ensure that new Community and Non-Transient, Non-Community (NTNC) water systems are precluded from coming into existence unless they can demonstrate the technical, managerial, and financial capacity. State Capacity Development Strategies for existing systems have been approved in all four Region 10 States. These State Stragtegies combined with initiatives in other dirnking water programs provide the framework for small systems to build partnerships and obtain technical assistance.
For more information, please visit the small systems website developed by EPA's national Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
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The final Capacity Development Guidance in PDF format published in July, 1998.
If you have questions about the definitions, terms or acronyms used on this Web Page, click on the link to the Drinking Water Glossary.
Contact: Bill Chamberlain (206) 553-8515