Nearly twenty percent of America’s households today depend on onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS or onsite systems), but only about two percent of federal wastewater dollars have been invested to support these systems to date. There are enormous disparities across the country, states, and localities in the availability, amount, accessibility, and use of funding for onsite systems, and more importantly, for the households and residents who rely on them.

To ensure equity and sustainability for onsite wastewater treatment systems, we need to drive more investment in these systems, especially in unincorporated, disadvantaged, and other disinvested communities across the country.

The Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) released a report entitled Investing in America’s Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems for Equity and Sustainability. The report takes a look at some of the issues facing failing onsite systems, provides an overview of potential funding solutions with local and state-level examples and case studies, and makes key recommendations on how to ensure more resources reach the households with the greatest need.

Here are more related resources:

• Read a blog from EPIC outlining case studies in California
• Biden-Harris Administration Launches EPA-USDA Partnership to Provide Wastewater Sanitation to Underserved Rural Communities
• New York Times: White House Retrofits Infrastructure Bill to Better Help Poor Communities
• EPIC’s statement on EPA-USDA partnership