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This paper summarizes the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Division of Water Supplies' (Division), Technical Assistance Program for Small Systems, better known at TAPSS. The TAPSS program was established to help small water systems improve their operation and maintenance practices and thereby improve compliance with the new drinking water requirements. Three areas are addressed: filtration, disinfection, and corrosion control. Rather than the typical classroom setting, the program employed a nonconventional training approach, taking the technical assistance and training on-site where the operator could be trained on the treatment processes and equipment used every day. This paper describes how the training worked, and discusses the three areas of emphasis in some detail. Costs and benefits are discussed and compared. A number of conclusions regarding administration of the program, small system shortcomings, and suggestions for continuing training are listed. See more