Ensuring clean and safe drinking water is important for protecting human health and the environment. While Manganese (Mn) occurs naturally in groundwater and surface water, higher concentrations, previously considered safe, have been found to potentially lead to negative neurological health impacts in vulnerable populations. In addition to health concerns, aesthetic issues such as water color and taste, and Mn accumulation in the distribution systems make Mn treatment a priority for many drinking water utilities. Small utilities find Mn treatment challenging due to the complexities of the treatment process, costs, and aging infrastructure. Several technologies have proven to be effective in Mn removal; however, small utilities find it challenging to implement many of these technologies. This Request for Applications (RFA) seeks research demonstrations that evaluate the effectiveness of common Mn treatment technologies in small drinking water systems and provide states, Tribes and small utilities with an improved ability to adopt and implement common Mn treatment technologies.

The Innovative Water Technology Grant Program’s goal is to accelerate “the development and deployment of innovative water technologies that address pressing drinking water supply, quality, treatment, or security challenges of public water systems, areas served by private wells, or source waters.” Under the program, EPA shall make grants “(1) to develop, test, and deploy innovative water technologies; or (2) to provide technical assistance to deploy demonstrated innovative water technologies.”