Deadline: 21-Aug-24
The National Priorities funding opportunity solicits innovative research to address the knowledge gaps on the impact, risk, and mitigation of de facto reuse in drinking water sources across the United States.
Throughout the nation, drinking water supplies of many communities are directly influenced by the presence of treated municipal wastewater through the process of “de facto water reuse.” De facto water reuse occurs when a drinking water supply contains a significant fraction of wastewater effluent, typically from upstream wastewater discharges. This contrasts with planned potable reuse where highly treated wastewater is purposefully used to supplement drinking water supplies. Understanding the risks from this form of unplanned water reuse is important to ensure clean and safe drinking water. De facto reuse is a common occurrence across the U.S. and other countries, but there is relatively little known about the impacts and potential risks. Additional research is needed to better understand the impact of de facto reuse nationwide, including potential human health risks and the interventions needed to mitigate those risks.
The Office of Research and Development’s (ORD) Consolidated Research/Training/Fellowships program supports research and development to: (1) determine the environmental effects of air quality, drinking water, water quality, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides; (2) identify, develop, and demonstrate effective pollution control techniques; (3) perform risk assessments to characterize the potential adverse health effects of human exposures to environmental hazards; and (4) facilitate training and program participant support in these areas.
Awards made under this program further EPA’s priorities supporting robust science for air quality, safe and sustainable water resources, sustainable and healthy communities, chemical safety, and human health risk assessment. The national priorities competition under this program supports high-priority water quality and availability research.
Funding Information
- It is anticipated that a total of approximately $9,500,000 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 4 awards under this funding opportunity. Requests for amounts in excess of a total of $2,375,000 in federal funds per award, including direct and indirect costs, will not be considered. In addition, a minimum 25% non-federal cost share/match of the federal funds awarded, which may include in-kind contributions, is required. For example, if an applicant requests $2,375,000 in EPA funds, a minimum of $593,750 must be included. Including matching, total project costs can exceed $2,968,750 (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 $2,375,000. Applications which do not include the minimum 25% non-federal cost share/match will not be considered.
- The total project period requested in an application submitted for this funding opportunity may not exceed 3 years.
Specific Research Areas of Interest
- Research Area 1: Develop a holistic understanding of the national impact of de facto reuse
- The main objective of this research area is to build-upon the current science of de facto reuse related to its prevalence across the country. Specific areas of interest include the development of broadly applicable tools and models that a variety of water utilities could implement to better understand their source water quality as it relates to de facto reuse impact. Applicants should consider temporal and spatial factors that may influence the contribution and composition of wastewater effluent.
- Research Area 2: Evaluate the potential human health risk associated with de facto reuse
- The main objective of this research area is to evaluate the human health risks associated with de facto reuse in drinking water sources. This research should seek to compare de facto reuse to an “unimpacted” source of water, for example headwater supplies that have lesser amounts of wastewater contribution or potable reuse water. Applicants may assess risk from both pathogens and chemical contaminants. Applicants are encouraged to explore a wide range of chemical contaminants and may include non-targeted analysis techniques, if appropriate. Applicants should develop a framework for evaluating risk associated with the degree of wastewater contribution. The proposed research may utilize data collected at wastewater and/or drinking water treatment plants to inform risk assessments.
- Research Area 3: Explore interventions to mitigate risk from de facto reuse impacted drinking water
- The main objective of this research area is to explore actions that could be implemented to address de facto reuse, improve water quality of drinking water sources, and reduce potential risks. Applicants should consider unit processes and treatment trains that are broadly representative of U.S. WWTPs and DWTPs, including both small and large systems. Interventions explored under this research area should consider the ‘One Health’ framework, which is an integrated and unifying approach to optimizing the health of people, animals, and the environment, and Integrated Water Resources Management, which promotes the coordinated management of water to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Expected Outputs and Outcomes
- Outputs expected from the research funded under this funding opportunity may include, but are not limited to:
- Development of appropriate frameworks and methodologies for utilities, states, municipalities, and communities to quantify the extent and contribution of de facto reuse in drinking water sources.
- Decision support tools to assess risks associated with de facto reuse for utilities to manage water supply and protect human health.
- Risk assessments along with development of risk models and quantification of wastewater effluent contribution to water supply.
- Cost analysis for mitigation methods to reduce de facto reuse risk from pathogens and chemicals.
- Research, testing reports, and peer reviewed publications pertaining to the research areas.
- Support for small and large utilities for a better understanding of the potential impacts of de facto reuse on drinking water.
- Resources designed to assist states, municipalities, treatment facilities, and other stakeholders to identify when they experience levels of de facto reuse high enough to be of concern and tools to respond accordingly.
- Any methods, approaches, and models developed from this research should be scientifically robust and transparently convey uncertainties in the analyses. Models should be non-proprietary, open-source and based on open-access data.
- Outcomes expected from the research funded under this funding opportunity may include, but are not limited to:
- Better understanding of the impact, risk, and strategies to manage de facto reuse across the country with the goal of protection of human health from drinking water consumption.
- Increased collaboration between communities and water agencies to implement a united watershed approach.
- Improved holistic approaches that consider a variety of water sources, utility size, and regions of the country.
- Changes in public perception to planned water reuse with further research on the commonality of de facto reuse and better understanding of the extent of its risk.
Eligibility Criteria
- This solicitation is available to public and private nonprofit institutions and public and private universities and colleges located in the United States and its territories or possessions. Foreign universities/organizations, U.S. States, territories and possessions, the District of Columbia, State and local government departments, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments of the U.S., are not eligible to apply under this funding opportunity. Profit-making firms and individuals are not eligible to receive assistance agreements from the EPA under this program.
- Consistent with the definition of Nonprofit organization at 2 CFR § 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. Note that 2 CFR § 200.1 specifically excludes Institutions of Higher Education from the definition of non-profit organization because they are separately defined in the regulation. While not considered to be a nonprofit organization(s) as defined by 2 CFR § 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this funding opportunity. Hospitals that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR § 200.1 are also eligible to apply as nonprofits. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that are instrumentalities of the unit of government depending on the applicable law are not eligible to apply. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.
- Nonprofit organizations that are not exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code must submit other forms of documentation of nonprofit status; such as certificates of incorporation as nonprofit under state or tribal law. Nonprofit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that lobby are not eligible for EPA funding as provided in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. 1611.
- National laboratories funded by Federal Agencies (Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers, “FFRDCs”) may not apply. FFRDC employees may cooperate or collaborate with eligible applicants within the limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. They may participate in planning, conducting, and analyzing the research directed by the applicant, but may not direct projects on behalf of the applicant organization. An award recipient may provide funds through its assistance agreement from the EPA to an FFRDC for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and other expenses directly related to the research.
- Federal Agencies may not apply. Federal employees are not eligible to serve in a principal leadership role on an assistance agreement. Federal employees may not receive salaries or augment their Agency’s appropriations through awards made under this program unless authorized by law to receive such funding.
- The applicant institution may enter into an agreement with a Federal Agency to purchase or utilize unique supplies or services unavailable in the private sector to the extent authorized by law. Examples are purchase of satellite data, chemical reference standards, analyses, or use of instrumentation or other facilities not available elsewhere. A written justification for federal involvement must be included in the application. In addition, an appropriate form of assurance that documents the commitment, such as a letter of intent from the Federal Agency involved, should be included.
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