Wastewater in Tribal Communities - Publications

Tribal and Alaska Native Village Wastewater

• Alaska Rural Utility Cooperative Demonstration Project (PDF) (46 pp, 1.4MB) – A guidebook for communities interested in forming a regional utility cooperative.
• Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Grant Program: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) (20 pp, 3MB) – An overview of the Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Grant Program.
• Eligibility of Indoor Plumbing under Alaska Sanitation Infrastructure Grant Program (PDF) (2 pp, 8K) – A memo that explains how  indoor plumbing can be funded under the Alaska Sanitation Infrastructure Grant Program (also known as the Alaska Native Village and Rural Communities Sanitation Grant Program).
• Office of Water Tribal Water Plan, 2005 - 2008 – The document provides an orientation to the organization of EPA, with an emphasis on the structure of the Office of Water. It consolidates, in one document, a nationwide approach to tribal water protection.
• Tribal Management of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) (4 pp, 439K) – A fact sheet that defines onsite wastewater treatment systems and explains the four onsite wastewater management steps (map, design, maintain, and regulate).
• Tribal Resource Directory for Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment – A searchable catalog of over thirty federal and non-federal programs that offer funding and technical support for tribal drinking water and wastewater systems, many of which are also available to non-tribal entities. 

Regulatory Guidance

• Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Policy (PDF) (12 pp, 1.5MB) – Section D of this policy discusses Small System Considerations to implement CSO controls.
• Visit EPA’s Water Regulations page for a listing of water laws, regulations, policy, guidance and legislation. 

Small Community Wastewater

• Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: An Analysis of Capital Funding and Funding Gaps   – A report by the University of North Carolina Environmental Financing Center (2005) that analyzes the quality of water and wastewater services and assesses infrastructure needs and capacity in Appalachia.
• Still Living Without the Basics in the 21st Century: Analyzing the Availability of Water and Sanitation Services in the United States – A report by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (2004) that provides an analysis of access to plumbing facilities across the United States, based on data from the 2000 U.S. Census survey.
• Visit the National Small Flows Clearinghouse page for a more complete listing of small community wastewater publications. 

Wastewater Infrastructure Financing and Funding

• Tribal Resource Directory for Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment – A searchable catalog of over thirty federal and non-federal programs that offer funding and technical support for tribal drinking water and wastewater systems, many of which are also available to non-tribal entities. 

Wastewater Technologies

• EPA's Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual (PDF) (17 pp, 377K) – A manual for wastewater treatment professionals that discusses recent developments in treatment technologies, design and long-term management of onsite wastewater treatment systems.
• Homeowner's Guide to Septic Systems (PDF) (19 pp, 1.2MB)– Booklet that describes how a septic system works and what homeowners can do to help their systems treat wastewater effectively
• Municipal Wastewater Technologies Fact Sheets – Fact sheets on a variety of innovative and alternative wastewater technologies.
• Primer for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) (12 pp, 4MB) – This document provides basic information on municipal wastewater treatment systems and advanced methods for treating wastes.
• Tribal Management of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (PDF) (4 pp, 428K) – A fact sheet that defines onsite wastewater treatment systems and explains the four onsite wastewater management steps (map, design, maintain, and regulate).
• Please visit EPA's Septic Systems Program Publications Page for a more complete listing of decentralized (on-site) septic system publications.