Wichita State University’s Environmental Finance Center will help small, rural and tribal communities in Kansas and nearby states improve drinking water and wastewater systems with new funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  

Two cooperative agreements totaling $17.74 million, awarded to the WSU Environmental Finance Center and its partners at the Environmental Finance Center Network, will support communities with drinking water and wastewater issues. Wichita State, along with the University of New Mexico and Syracuse University Environmental Finance Centers, will lead a national partnership of university and non-profit organizations to deliver technical assistance, training and capacity building.  

“One-on-one work with small water and wastewater utilities is some of the most meaningful work we do,” said Tonya Bronleewe, director of WSU’s Environmental Finance Center. “Our team regularly sees communities take long-awaited steps toward their planning, financial, compliance or infrastructure goals after we spend dedicated time working with them on their unique challenges.” 

With this funding from the EPA, the EFC WSU will deliver free technical assistance, training and capacity building for water and wastewater utilities, with a focus on serving communities in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and adjoining Indigenous Nations. Together with its partners at the EFCN, they will work nationally alongside hundreds of communities to secure funding, address regulatory requirements and strengthen critical water infrastructure that protects public health and drives local economies. 

The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) is one of 10 Environmental Finance Centers located across the country that provide communities with professional training, technical assistance and applied research. We help communities build capacity to address environmental challenges and provide quality of life for everyone.  

Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 25,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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