EPA Releases New Tools to Help Small, Rural, and Tribal Communities with Lagoons Manage Wastewater and Protect Waterbodies

EPA Releases New Tools to Help Small, Rural, and Tribal Communities with Lagoons Manage Wastewater and Protect Waterbodies

September 27, 2024

Lagoon wastewater treatment systems are typically used in communities that are smaller than 3,000 people and can lack the necessary financial and technical resources to comply with the Clean Water Act. EPA's new tools are intended to help local decisionmakers effectively and efficiently protect public health and the environment, address compliance challenges, and improve asset-management planning.

"Safely managing wastewater is essential to healthy, thriving communities - no matter if you live in urban, suburban, or rural settings," said EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. "EPA's new tools enhance operations and management to ensure that all people can rely on clean and safe water."

The new resources include:

• The "First Stop Toolbox for Lagoons" identifies technical, financial, and regulatory support resources in a user-friendly web tool. This tool will help lagoon operators and technical assistance providers assess operations and compliance challenges in their lagoons, and in turn, help communities resolve these challenges on their own.
• The "Small Lagoon Communities Economic Streamlining Tool" and the "Individual Lagoon Tool" help states, authorized Tribes, and communities determine whether a water quality standards (WQS) variance is an appropriate step to take when a small community is experiencing compliance challenges related to ammonia. Both tools are accompanied by an implementation document: "Applying the EPA's Economic Analysis Tools to a WQS Variance for Ammonia for Small Lagoon Communities."

These tools were developed as priority actions under the EPA's 2022-2026 Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Action Plan, and respond to needs identified by state co-regulators and lagoon communities.

Learn more about lagoons in videos from EPA's Bruno Pigott and Kathryn Kazior.

Background
Many communities use lagoon wastewater systems as the only way to treat their community wastewater. About one-quarter of the nation's Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) regulated by the CWA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program are lagoons.

For more than 30 years, EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund has helped communities invest in water infrastructure, like lagoon systems. The program provides low-cost assistance to borrowers across the country with water infrastructure challenges, and thanks to additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, even more funding is available to help small communities. Additionally, the EPA's Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) services support communities to identify water challenges, build capacity, and develop technical and application materials to access funding.