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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loans and Grants
Lead Service Line Loan Application Cycle
- Opened January 8, 2024.
- Applications due by 11:59 p.m. PDT on March 29, 2024.
- We will follow the Construction Loan Guidelines 331-196 for current applications.
- LSL Inventory Loans will be on a first come, first served basis.
- We will score LSL Replacement Loans based on results from routine lead sampling.
The guidelines cover both LSL loan applications and Construction loan applications. Select the LSL Loan application in WALT for any LSL inventory or replacement projects. We adopted a DWSRF emergency rule (below) for the definition of a disadvantaged community that applies to this funding cycle to determine eligibility for subsidy after loan eligibility is confirmed. We scheduled a webinar to explain available funding. Links to the Microsoft Teams meeting and slides from the fall 2023 webinars are on our DWSRF webpage, under the “Lead Service Line Loan: Ongoing” dropdown menu. You must submit service line inventories to us by October 16, 2024, and then annually if you list lead or unknowns. All community and non-transient non-community (NTNC) water systems must develop a service line inventory.
Consolidation Feasibility Study Grant Application Cycle
We scheduled a webinar and a question-and-answer session to explain available funding. Links to the Microsoft Teams meetings for each session and the slides from the 2023 webinars are on our DWSRF webpage, under the “Consolidation Feasibility/Regionalization Grant: Ongoing” dropdown menu.
Planning and Engineering Loan Application Changes (Previously Called the Preconstruction Loan)
- Currently open.
- Applications accepted year-round.
- We will follow the updated Planning and Engineering Loan Guidelines 331-537 for current applications.
- Updates include funding up to $200,000 for limited water rights exploration. This allows a water system to drill a well that currently does not have water rights. Funding pays for drilling, pump test, and water quality testing. It does not pay for well development or connection to the water system.
More information is available on our DWSRF webpage, under the “Planning and Engineering” dropdown menu.
Emergency Rule Changes
We adopted an emergency rule to make changes to Chapter 246-296 WAC to implement RCW 70A.125.160, the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and to conform to the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that was passed in November 2021. The CR-103E Rule-making order, WSR 24-02-060 was filed and effective December 29, 2023.
The emergency adoption allows us to forgive a portion or all of the SRF loan amount, update the definition of a disadvantaged community, remove water system plan requirements for those systems that are seeking a loan to address LSL identification and replacement, and remove obsolete priority rating and ranking criteria to allow more water systems to qualify for loans in conformance with EPA’s direction to implement BIL requirements.
- Effective date December 29, 2023.
- Expiration date April 26, 2024.
The SRF Loan Program must implement requirements of the federal BIL enacted on November 15, 2021, under Public Law 117-58, which includes new criteria for public water systems to obtain a DWSRF loan. BIL requires that states provide loan subsidization, up to 100 percent principal forgiveness, to qualifying disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged communities. BIL also dedicated $15 billion nationwide in funding to the SRF for LSL identification and replacement loans, 49 percent of which we must provide as forgivable loans to qualifying disadvantaged communities. In order to award LSL identification and replacement funding in accordance with BIL requirements, EPA recommends that each state evaluate and revise their definition of a disadvantaged community and furthermore, revise the SRF priority point system for project rating and ranking commensurate with need.
Drinking Water Systems Rehabilitation and Consolidation Grant
During the 2023 Legislative Session, the Washington State Legislature appropriated $5 million for Department of Health to spend on consolidating, restructuring, and rehabilitating struggling and/or failing Public Water Systems (PWS). Over $2 million of the appropriated funds were targeted for specific projects and the remainder of the funds were directed to projects supporting struggling and failing systems and communities. DWSRF Program staff will select projects. We will ask selected projects to submit an information worksheet via email. Contact your regional engineer if you have a project to propose.
Find guidance on how projects are selected, who are eligible applicants, and what information you must submit in Drinking Water System Rehabilitation and Consolidation Guidance 331-742.
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