Kruttika Gopal

Kruttika Gopal is an Environmental Protection Specialist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wastewater Management, where she supports EPA’s initiatives to expand sanitation access for Tribes and rural communities across the country. She primarily works on the Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Initiative, which provides engineering analyses, funding application support, needs assessments, and more to communities with failing septic systems or without wastewater infrastructure. The program seeks to build each community’s capacity to access funding for wastewater improvements, with a goal of protecting public health and water quality. As the program’s Tribal Project Lead, Gopal collaborates with Indigenous leaders, local public health officials, the Indian Health Service, and others to identify community-centered and feasible solutions for safe sanitation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. The Office of Wastewater Management partners with federal, state, and local governments, Tribes, and industries to provide innovative solutions for the country’s water quality and quantity challenges. Within OWM, the Water Infrastructure Division supports the Clean Water Act by promoting safe and effective water use, treatment, disposal and management. This involves oversight of various water infrastructure financing programs including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and targeted funding programs for Tribes. It also involves technical assistance to help communities access funding for wastewater infrastructure improvements, especially in rural areas where small communities face challenges operating and maintaining vital water infrastructure. OWM envisions a nation where all communities have access to clean water and safe sanitation.