Midwest Assistance Program

Community Assistance: map directly assists and trains small communities to provide safe, clean, and affordable drinking water and proper collection, treatment, and safe disposal of waste (both solid and water) within the community. Work efforts include compliance with federal and state regulations, vulnerability assessments, emergency response plans, operator certification training, infrastructure development, maintenance training, budgeting, rate studies, capacity assessments, sanitary surveys, and district formation for new utilities. A large effort is capacity development including asset management plans.in fy23, map served 541 communities under 542 projects of which were 217 newly initiated during the year. The average median income of the communities receiving Assistance was $47,347, which is 63% of the united states median income level of $74,755. 121,212 minority individuals received Assistance. Map reached 255,874 households with on-site Assistance.

Map staff works with small communities to assist and educate them on regional approaches that might offer benefits for systems to ensure their long-term sustainability. Map also provides research to assist communities and policy makers on the benefits of regional approaches and the policy implications that might allow for more regionalization of systems in the future.

Map staff provide environmental report services and unique training classes for a fee. The environmental reports are required as part of any loan/grant application for funding. The communities being assisted have low median household incomes which limit their ability to pay for these services at market rates. The training has been geared towards the very small rural communities that are eligible for reimbursement under state funding programs.aside from helping communities provide safe, affordable drinking water or improved wastewater treatment, map's programs help build the human capital and capacity of leaders and officials of small communities.map staff conduct workshops and trainings to serve the social and educational needs of remote and isolated communities within its nine-state region.map receives federal grant funds from the environmental protection agency, health and human services office of community services, and the united states department of agriculture rural development.