The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has overhauled its technical assistance framework for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, while Congress is weighing changes to federal brownfields funding that local governments say could dilute the program's effectiveness. Together, the developments signal a shifting federal landscape for two areas where Georgia cities have significant needs.
EPA Introduces “RealWaterTA” to Refocus Water System Support
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced RealWaterTA, a new technical assistance framework aimed at strengthening drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems – especially in small and rural communities. The initiative formally rescinds the 2023 “WaterTA” approach, which EPA determined had drifted away from core statutory goals under the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. RealWaterTA returns to a back-to-basics model, prioritizing:
- Helping water systems achieve and maintain regulatory compliance
- Providing engineering, operational, and financial guidance
- Supporting long-term workforce and infrastructure needs
- Ensuring taxpayer-funded assistance leads to measurable results
EPA noted that the new structure is designed to give small, rural, and resource constrained systems more practical, targeted support – an important benefit for many Georgia communities managing aging water infrastructure or planning major upgrades.
Learn More: EPA memo outlining RealWaterTA initiative
Local Government Organizations Call for Targeted Improvements to Brownfields Legislation
As Congress takes up reauthorization of the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Redevelopment (BUILD) Act, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, and National Association of Counties have submitted joint comments pushing back on several draft proposals they say could undermine the program. Their concerns included:
- Expanding eligibility to private, for profit companies, which could divert limited grant funding away from communities
- Creating exemptions from NEPA review for certain large-scale industrial projects
- Using existing Brownfields funds to establish a new federal loan program, which could reduce resources for local redevelopment needs
The organizations also reiterated several priorities to strengthen the federal Brownfields Program:
- Higher authorization levels and increased per-grant caps, consistent with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) investments
- Expanded flexibility for multipurpose grants, allowing communitywide use rather than requiring preselection of specific sites
- Removal of the cap on administrative costs, a change particularly important for small and rural governments
- Ability to apply for additional assessment or cleanup grants for complex sites that require more than one phase of remediation
These refinements, they argue, would give local governments, including those across Georgia, stronger and more flexible tools to clean up contaminated sites, support economic growth, and revitalize neighborhoods.
Learn More: Joint comments submitted to the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.