Tribal Assistance Providers

Federal Providers

Department of Agriculture

Rural Development
USDA Rural Development provides funding opportunities in the form of payments, grants, loans, and loan guarantees, for the development and commercialization of vital utility services. These programs revitalize rural communities with a variety of infrastructure improvements, which can help these areas to expand economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for rural residents. These investments support long-term national prosperity by ensuring that rural communities have the basic infrastructure to become self-sustaining with the ability to compete in the global economy.

Department of Commerce

Economic Development Administration
The Economic Development Administration supports the construction, expansion, and upgrade of essential public infrastructure and facilities. This organization provides a wide range of technical, planning, and public works and infrastructure assistance in regions experiencing adverse economic changes that may occur suddenly or over time. The EDA also assists tribes and others with their short‐ and long‐term planning efforts. 

Department of Health & Human Services

Indian Health Service
The Indian Health Service’s Office of Environmental Health and Engineeringplans, implements, monitors, and evaluates environmental health services and engineering activities to eliminate or reduce health hazards in homes and communities. This office conducts engineering activities to design and construct water, sewer, and solid waste systems for Native American homes and communities, and provides training and technical assistance for the operation and maintenance of sanitation facilities. 

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Housing and Urban Development has developed several programs that support planning efforts and infrastructure investments. Programs offer grants for infrastructure improvements and construction of public facilities.

Department of the Interior

Bureau of Indian Affairs
One of the primary functions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ water program staff is the implementation of the established process for distributing annually appropriated water program funds to the regions and the tribes. The regional water staff provides technical assistance to tribes, coordinates the process of soliciting water-related funding proposals from tribes, and participates in activities in support of protecting Indian water rights. The BIA also manages the Water Management, Planning, and Pre-Development Program for the purpose of assisting tribes in managing, conserving and utilizing trust water resources.


Bureau of Reclamation
Reclamation is a contemporary water management agency with a strategic plan outlining numerous programs, initiatives and activities that will help Native American Tribes and others meet new water needs and balance the multitude of competing uses of water in the West. Great emphasis is placed on fulfilling water delivery obligations, water conservation, water recycling and reuse, and developing partnerships with customers, states, and Native American Tribes.

Enviromental Protection Agency
EPA’s American Indian Environmental Office leads and coordinates the Agency-wide effort to strengthen public health and environmental protection in Indian country, with a special emphasis on helping tribes administer their own environmental programs. The Office of Water ensures drinking water is safe and helps tribes to build capacity and implement water programs. The Office of Wastewater Management provides financial, technical and programmatic assistance to help tribal communities achieve adequate wastewater services.

Environmental Finance Center Network
The Environmental Finance Center Network is a unique asset for the nation. It is the only university-based organization creating innovative solutions to managing the costs of environmental protection and improvement. The EFCN consists of ten Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs) serving states within EPA's ten regions. By sharing and integrating information, tools and techniques, the EFCs work together and with the public and private sectors to promote a sustainable environment, bolstering efforts to address difficult how-to-pay issues.

Technical Assistance Center Network
The EPA Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) provide on-site technical assistance, training, financial planning support and other services for small water systems. The TACs offer specialized technical assistance based on the needs of small systems in a particular area and provide management training that can improve system performance and efficiency.

Regional & Local Providers

Rural Community Assistance Partnership
Rural Community Assistance Partnership provides onsite technical assistance to address water-supply and waste-disposal needs; training for community leaders, utility board, and staff members; publication and dissemination of informational and instructional materials; and financing assistance to undertake infrastructure improvements.

Rural Water Associations

State Rural Water Associations offer training, on-site assistance to help with management and operations, and many more services, specific to each state. Rural Water training and technical assistance help systems remain in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Rural Water is also the advocate for the majority of systems in the nation to insure that rules and regulations be reasonable, practical and affordable for all systems. This organization works to insure that funding and resources are available to the rural and small systems of our nation.

Tribal Organizations

Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. provides technical assistance to improve water and wastewater regulatory compliance by tribal utilities and to improve and protect the health and safety of their public constituents. The ITCA also ensures that tribal water and wastewater operators are provided with training and certification to assist them in meeting the requirements necessary to perform their jobs in a competent and professional manner.

Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada
The main intent of ITCN is to serve as a large political body for the small Nevada Tribes. With the EPA Liaison Program in place, ITCN also works with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection on environmental issues that impact tribes.

Native American Water Association
The Native American Water Association provides tribal water and wastewater training and technical assistance programs, tribal water and wastewater operator certification programs, on-site training, utility ordinance development, operation and maintenance assessments, Native American Water Association operator and manager apprentice training programs and other training and technical assistance opportunities.

United South & Eastern Tribes
USET supports Tribe utility efforts to achieve and maintain compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements through capacity building and technical assistance activities, including Peer Review opportunities, training in asset management, facilitation of utility-specific emergency tabletop exercises, and facilitation of the USET Operator Certification Program.