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GAO-20-217R 1 (2020-01-22)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaeamr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 January 22, 2020 Congressional Committees Alternative Drinking Water Systems: Use by Very Small Communities, Related Cost Savings, and Technical Assistance Provided by EPA and USDA Nationwide, many small communities-those with populations of 10,000 or fewer people-face challenges addressing their drinking water needs.' These communities may be unable to afford construction of a new system or replace aging infrastructure. Communities typically pay for drinking water infrastructure through rates charged to users of these systems and other sources, such as local taxes. Small communities have fewer users across which to spread rate increases, making operation, maintenance, and infrastructure projects less affordable. In addition, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents, small communities face other challenges that limit their ability to achieve and maintain system sustainability, including challenges in recruiting and retaining certified operators and maintaining expertise to choose, operate, and maintain systems. For the purposes of this report, community water systems that serve a population of 500 or fewer people are referred to as very small.2 Nearly 4.6 million people depend on these very small systems that compose more than half of the nation's community water systems (26,995 of 49,678), according to estimates in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which contains data on public water systems.3 According to EPA documents, new or nonconventional approaches have the potential to provide small communities with better or more cost-effective access to drinking water.4 As part of its National Water Program, EPA promotes development and use of innovative technology to advance the agency's goal of clean and safe water and sustainable water utilities.5 Over the past several years, Congress has enacted legislation related to facilitating the use of innovative 1GAO, Rural Water Infrastructure: Federal Agencies Provide Funding but Could Increase Coordination to Help Communities, GAO-15-450T (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 27, 2015). 2Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, a community water system is a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents of the area served by the system or that regularly serves at least 25 residents year-round. 42 U.S.C. § 300f(1 5). 3These estimates are based on data for active community water systems contained in EPA's SDWIS database for 2019, quarter 2. 4GAO conducted an assessment of current and developing technologies that could reduce water use and address water scarcity in the municipal water sector with a focus on medium and larger water systems serving more than 3,300 people. See GAO, Technology Assessment Municipal freshwater scarcity; Using technology to improve distribution system efficiency and tap nontraditional water sources, GAO-16-474 (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 29, 2016). 5Under EPA's water technology and innovation blueprint document, technology innovation includes an array of approaches: the development and deployment of new technologies; new applications of existing technologies; production changes; and organizational, management and cultural changes that can improve the condition and sustainability of the nation's water resources. Environmental Protection Agency, Blueprint for Integrating Technology Innovation into the National Water Program, Version 1.0 (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 27, 2013). GAO-20-217R Alternative Drinking Water Systems Page 1

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