The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking applications for the purpose of accelerating innovative and alternative wastewater treatment technologies in lagoon/pond systems serving small communities (population less than 10,000) that may require infrastructure improvements or process modifications in effluent quality for nutrients (total phosphorous and/or total nitrogen) and ammonia. In addition, the Request for Applications (RFA) is also looking for applications to help determine the performance, capital costs, operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, and O&M requirements of innovative water technologies that can efficiently and consistently remove nutrients.
In recent years, small communities with wastewater treatment plants serving less than 10,000 customers have shown increased interest in lagoon systems (also known as waste stabilization ponds or waste stabilization lagoons) as an alternative to conventional wastewater treatment due to their relative ease of operation, lower costs to remove biological oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS) from the wastewater. Because many small communities with lagoon systems can expect more stringent effluent limits for parameters such as ammonia and other nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorous), it will become increasingly important that they make updates to reliably remove nutrients and optimize processes to ensure that discharged water quality meets Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements. These small communities need information to assess lagoon options and/or design or make improvements to lagoon systems to help determine the most cost-effective approach across the life cycle of the investment, while achieving public health and environmental protection.
Deadline: March 7, 2022
- Research Area #1 – Lagoon Technologies and Treatment Performance, Variability, and Life Cycle Cost Analyses
- Research Area #2 – Lagoon System Life Cycle Impact Analyses
Public water systems, institutions of higher education (IHEs), research institutions or foundations, regional water organizations and certain nonprofit organizations as further described below, located in the U.S. or its territories or possessions are eligible to apply. Profitmaking firms and individuals are not eligible to apply.
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $2 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received and other applicable considerations. The EPA anticipates funding approximately 2 awards under this RFA. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $1,000,000 in federal funding per award, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. In addition, a minimum non-federal cost share/match of 35% of the total project costs which is equivalent at a minimum to 53.846% of the federal funds awarded (which may include in-kind contributions - see Section III.B. for more details), must be included. The minimum 35% non-federal cost share/match, equal to a minimum of $538,462 (assuming the applicant requests $1,000,000 in EPA funds) must be included. Including matching, total project costs can exceed $1,538,462 (if the applicant proposes more than the minimum required non-federal cost share/match), however, the federally-funded portion of the budget must not exceed $1,000,000. Applications which do not demonstrate how the applicant will provide the minimum non-federal cost share/match will be deemed ineligible. The total project period requested in an application submitted for this RFA may not exceed 4 years.