§ 300j–1 — Research, Technical Assistance, Information, Training Of Personnel

(1) The Administrator may conduct research, studies, and demonstrations relating to the causes, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and other impairments of man resulting directly or indirectly from contaminants in water, or to the provision of a dependably safe supply of drinking water, including— (A) improved methods (i) to identify and measure the existence of contaminants in drinking water (including methods which may be used by State and local health and water officials), and (ii) to identify the source of such contaminants; (B) improved methods to identify and measure the health effects of contaminants in drinking water; (C) new methods of treating raw water to prepare it for drinking, so as to improve the efficiency of water treatment and to remove contaminants from water; (D) improved methods for providing a dependably safe supply of drinking water, including improvements in water purification and distribution, and methods of assessing the health related hazards of drinking water; (E) improved methods of protecting underground water sources of public water systems from contamination; and (F) innovative water technologies (including technologies to improve water treatment to ensure compliance with this subchapter and technologies to identify and mitigate sources of drinking water contamination, including lead contamination). (2) In carrying out this subchapter, the Administrator is authorized to— (A) collect and make available information pertaining to research, investigations, and demonstrations with respect to providing a dependably safe supply of drinking water, together with appropriate recommendations in connection with the information; and (B) make available research facilities of the Agency to appropriate public authorities, institutions, and individuals engaged in studies and research relating to this subchapter. (3) The Administrator shall carry out a study of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination of actual or potential sources of drinking water, contamination of such sources by other substances known or suspected to be harmful to public health, the effects of such contamination, and means of removing, treating, or otherwise controlling such contamination. To assist in carrying out this paragraph, the Administrator is authorized to make grants to public agencies and private nonprofit institutions. (4) The Administrator shall conduct a survey and study of— (A) disposal of waste (including residential waste) which may endanger underground water which supplies, or can reasonably be expected to supply, any public water systems, and (B) means of control of such waste disposal. (5) The Administrator shall carry out a study of methods of underground injection which do not result in the degradation of underground drinking water sources. (6) The Administrator shall carry out a study of methods of preventing, detecting, and dealing with surface spills of contaminants which may degrade underground water sources for public water systems. (7) The Administrator shall carry out a study of virus contamination of drinking water sources and means of control of such contamination. (8) The Administrator shall carry out a study of the nature and extent of the impact on underground water which supplies or can reasonably be expected to supply public water systems of (A) abandoned injection or extraction wells; (B) intensive application of pesticides and fertilizers in underground water recharge areas; and (C) ponds, pools, lagoons, pits, or other surface disposal of contaminants in underground water recharge areas. (9) The Administrator shall conduct a comprehensive study of public water supplies and drinking water sources to determine the nature, extent, sources of and means of control of contamination by chemicals or other substances suspected of being carcinogenic. Not later than six months after December 16, 1974, he shall transmit to the Congress the initial results of such study, together with such recommendations for further review and corrective action as he deems appropriate. (10) The Administrator shall carry out a study of the reaction of chlorine and humic acids and the effects of the contaminants which result from such reaction on public health and on the safety of drinking water, including any carcinogenic effect. (A) Not later than 1 year after November 15, 2021, the Administrator shall— (i) evaluate, based on the compliance data found in the Safe Drinking Water Information System of the Administrator, the compliance of community water systems and wastewater systems with environmental, health, and safety requirements under this subchapter, including water quality sampling, testing, and reporting requirements; and (ii) submit to Congress a report describing trends seen as a result of the evaluation under clause (i), including trends that demonstrate how the characteristics of community water systems and wastewater systems correlate to trends in compliance or noncompliance with the requirements described in that clause. (B) To the extent practicable, in carrying out subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall determine whether, in aggregate, community water systems and wastewater systems maintain asset management plans. (b) The Administrator is authorized to provide technical assistance and to make grants to States, or publicly owned water systems to assist in responding to and alleviating any emergency situation (including an emergency situation resulting from a cybersecurity event) affecting public water systems (including sources of water for such systems) which the Administrator determines to present substantial danger to the public health, including a threat to public health resulting from contaminants, such as, but not limited to, heightened exposure to lead in drinking water. Grants provided under this subsection shall be used only to support those actions which (i) are necessary for preventing, limiting or mitigating danger to the public health in such emergency situation and (ii) would not, in the judgment of the Administrator, be taken without such emergency assistance. The Administrator may carry out the program authorized under this subsection as part of, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of, any other program of assistance for environmental emergencies which the Administrator is authorized to carry out under any other provision of law. No limitation on appropriations for any such other program shall apply to amounts appropriated under this subsection. (c) The Administrator shall— (1) provide training for, and make grants for training (including postgraduate training) of (A) personnel of State agencies which have primary enforcement responsibility and of agencies or units of local government to which enforcement responsibilities have been delegated by the State, and (B) personnel who manage or operate public water systems, and (2) make grants for postgraduate training of individuals (including grants to educational institutions for traineeships) for purposes of qualifying such individuals to work as personnel referred to in paragraph (1). (3) make grants to, and enter into contracts with, any public agency, educational institution, and any other organization, in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Administrator, under which he may pay all or part of the costs (as may be determined by the Administrator) of any project or activity which is designed— (A) to develop, expand, or carry out a program (which may combine training education and employment) for training persons for occupations involving the public health aspects of providing safe drinking water; (B) to train inspectors and supervisory personnel to train or supervise persons in occupations involving the public health aspects of providing safe drinking water; or (C) to develop and expand the capability of programs of States and municipalities to carry out the purposes of this subchapter (other than by carrying out State programs of public water system supervision or underground water source protection (as defined in section 300j–2(c) of this title)). (d) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (b) $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. (1) The Administrator may provide technical assistance to small public water systems to enable such systems to achieve and maintain compliance with applicable national primary drinking water regulations. (2) Such assistance may include circuit-rider and multi-State regional technical assistance programs, training, and preliminary engineering evaluations. (3) The Administrator shall ensure that technical assistance pursuant to this subsection is available in each State. (4) Each nonprofit organization receiving assistance under this subsection shall consult with the State in which the assistance is to be expended or otherwise made available before using assistance to undertake activities to carry out this subsection. (5) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this subsection $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. (6) No portion of any State loan fund established under section 300j–12 of this title (relating to State loan funds) and no portion of any funds made available under this subsection may be used for lobbying expenses. (7) Of the total amount appropriated under this subsection, 3 percent shall be used for technical assistance to public water systems owned or operated by Indian Tribes, including grants to provide training and operator certification services under section 300j–12(i)(5) of this title. (A) The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide to small public water systems onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multistate, regional technical assistance programs, onsite and regional training, assistance with implementing source water protection plans, and assistance with implementing monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. (B) To ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities of a State, the Administrator shall give preference under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the Administrator, are the most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems and that the small community water systems in that State find to be the most beneficial and effective. (C) No grant or cooperative agreement provided or otherwise made available under this section may be used for litigation pursuant to section 300j–8 of this title. (1) The Administrator may provide technical assistance consistent with the authority provided under subsection (e) to State-based nonprofit organizations that are governed by community water systems. (2) Each State-based nonprofit organization that receives funding under paragraph (1) shall, before using that funding to undertake activities to carry out this subsection, consult with the State in which the assistance is to be expended or otherwise made available. (1) The Administrator may provide technical assistance to public water systems to facilitate use of innovative water technologies. (2) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator for use in providing technical assistance under paragraph (1) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021.