Environmental Loans August 2025 Newsletter
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s Environmental Loans programs provide affordable financial assistance to Wisconsin communities for water infrastructure projects that protect and improve public health and water quality for current and future generations.
Manganese Projects Eligible For Safe Drinking Water Emerging Contaminants Funding
Manganese projects will now be eligible for Safe Drinking Water Emerging Contaminants (SDW-EC) funding beginning with the state fiscal year 2027 funding cycle. Municipalities interested in applying for SDW-EC funds must submit a notice of intent to apply for the state fiscal year 2027 funding cycle by the deadline of Oct. 31, 2025.
Manganese as a contaminant is eligible for SDW-EC funding when it exceeds "do not drink" levels (greater than 300 micrograms per liter [µg/L] or 0.3 mg/L) or when it is anticipated to exceed "do not drink" levels in the future. Manganese projects anticipated to exceed "do not drink" levels must have a minimum sample result of 0.27 mg/L and be trending up to ‘do not drink’ levels in the water system to be considered eligible for funding through the SDW-EC Program. Scoring criteria will be available in the final Safe Drinking Water Loan Program State Fiscal Year 2026 Intended Use Plan.
The SDW-EC Program is a subprogram of the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program and is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Read more about the IIJA/BIL-funded SDW-EC Program.
The Wisconsin DNR provides information regarding the concerns of manganese in public and private drinking water systems.
Contact Ryan Atkinson, SDW-EC Program specialist, with questions at 608-640-0510 or Ryan.Atkinson@wisconsin.gov.
2024 Financial And Single Audit Reminder
Financial Audit
This is a friendly reminder regarding your Environmental Improvement Fund (EIF) loan agreement. As outlined in the agreement, audited financial statements must be submitted within 180 days of the end of each fiscal year. Since the municipal fiscal year ended on Dec. 31, 2024, the deadline to submit your 2024 audit to the EIF was June 30, 2025.
If you haven’t already, please email your audited financial statements to DOAEIF@wisconsin.gov. Also, ensure your auditor includes the EIF on the distribution list when the audit is finalized.
Note: If your municipality does not conduct an audit, please send your 2024 sewer/water utility financial statements – including the balance sheet and income/expense statements – to the same email address.
Single Audit
If you are required to submit a Single Audit, the deadline to submit your 2024 Single Audit to the EIF is Sept. 30, 2025.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this requirement.
New Construction Before Application Guide
Is your municipality interested in starting construction for a project before applying for financial assistance from the Wisconsin DNR’s Clean Water Fund Program or Safe Drinking Water Loan Program?
We’ve put together the Construction Before Application Guide (PUB-CF-049) with a list of considerations and procedures your municipality and its consultants can follow to avoid requirement troubles later on. This guide applies to projects of municipalities that have not submitted a notice of intent to apply and/or application for financial assistance.
If construction has already begun, or is imminent, it's essential to contact the Clean Water Fund Program or the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program for guidance. Program staff will decide whether the project can still be considered for financial assistance and provide what steps need to be taken.
State Fiscal Year 2027 ITA/PERF Online System Available
The online system for submitting a notice of intent to apply (ITA) with priority evaluation and ranking formula (PERF) information is now available.
Oct. 31, 2025, is the state fiscal year 2027 ITA/PERF submittal deadline for the Clean Water Fund Program and the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program.
Some questions require supporting documentation to be submitted with the ITA/PERF to receive the priority points. If relevant documentation is not uploaded at the time of submittal, points will not be given for that question. Note that the DNR shall assign negative points to a Safe Drinking Water Loan Program project based on an applicant’s lack of required technical, financial, and managerial capacity for the existing public water system for criteria listed under s. NR 166.23(5), Wis. Adm. Code.
The online system has help text built-in to clarify what information and supporting documentation is needed for that question. The "ITA Help" publication also explains what information and supporting documentation are required for each question/section of the ITA/PERF as well as how to navigate the ITA/PERF Online System:
To further help potential borrowers through the ITA/PERF process, information, instructions and guidance documents are on the DNR’s Online Systems webpage and ITA/PERF webpage. Access instructions and links to the online systems are available on Online Systems webpage.
We recommend that the municipality or its designated representatives request access to the online systems at least two weeks prior to the ITA/PERF deadline. Requests received within 48 hours of the ITA/PERF deadline cannot be accommodated.
The procedures for determining and updating project priority scores are detailed in s. NR 162.51, Wis. Adm. Code, for the Clean Water Fund Program and s. NR 166.24, Wis. Adm. Code, for the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. The DNR includes additional or modifies existing scoring criteria in the corresponding program’s annual intended use plan.
Water Quality Trading Projects
As outlined in the Clean Water Fund Program State Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Intended Use Plan, the DNR is proposing to integrate water quality trading (WQT) projects into the regular Clean Water Fund Program starting in state fiscal year 2027. The ITA/PERF online system now has a separate project category for WQT projects, which should be selected instead of the Pilot Project category.
For WQT projects that previously submitted ITAs, applicants will need to create a new ITA for state fiscal year 2027 and select the new WQT project category. Under the new WQT category, applicants will now see a PERF section in the online system. The PERF screen is prepopulated for WQT projects, awarding a project category score plus additional points for water quality parameters based on the effluent limits in the applicant’s current Wisconsin Pollution Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit.
For questions or assistance with filling out an ITA for WQT projects, please contact Sarah Bolitho at 608-960-2927 or Sarah.Bolitho@wisconsin.gov.
Lead Service Line Projects
Any projects that include lead service line (LSL) costs should be submitted as a separate LSL-only project. A separate ITA for LSL work should be submitted for all LSL projects, even replacements that will occur as part of a watermain replacement project. Only the LSL-only projects are eligible for the LSL principal forgiveness and the LSL interest rate of 0.25%. Non-LSL projects which include lead service line costs will be reviewed as standard SDWLP projects when considering interest rates and principal forgiveness eligibility.
For LSL projects that previously submitted ITAs, applicants will need to create a new ITA for state fiscal year 2027 and select the Distribution/Transmission project category, then select Yes for the Lead Service Line Only option.
For LSL-only projects, the regular SDWLP PERF does not need to be completed in the ITA/PERF online system and will not be available; however, the separate LSL Replacement Program PERF (Form 8700-383) must be submitted with the regular application through the Application online system in order for the application to be considered complete.
BIL/IIJA Funding
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), is meant to provide additional funding in federal fiscal years 2022-2026, which corresponds with state fiscal years 2023-2027. In addition, reallocated funds will be available from states that did not use all, or any, of their BIL/IIJA capitalization grants. If available, unused funds are reallocated two years after the initial appropriation and should continue for two years beyond federal fiscal year 2026. For details, see the DNR’s BIL Funding webpage.
Get MyWisconsin ID Before Submittal Deadline
This is a reminder that you must have a MyWisconsin ID and access to the Environmental Loans Online Systems via the DNR Switchboard to apply for financial assistance from the Clean Water Fund Program or Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. Any users who have a WAMS account will be required to create a MyWisconsin ID account with a user ID, password and multi-factor authentication (MFA) preference.
Please do not wait until the intent to apply/application submittal deadline to set up a MyWisconsin account or request access to the online loan systems. Access requests received within 48 hours of the submittal deadline cannot be accommodated. We recommend you request access at least two weeks prior to the submittal deadline.
- Sept. 30, 2025, is the application submittal deadline if competing for principal forgiveness for the state fiscal year 2026 Clean Water Fund Program funding cycle.
- Oct. 31, 2025, is the notice of intent to apply submittal deadline for the state fiscal year 2027 Clean Water Fund Program and Safe Drinking Water Loan Program funding cycles.
Note: Oct. 17, 2025, is the final date to submit the Online Submittal Authorization Certificate (Form 8700-377) before this Oct. 31 deadline.
Instructions
If you have not created a MyWisconsin ID or obtained access to the online loan systems, details and step-by-step guidance are available.
More details are available on the DNR Environmental Loans Section's Online Systems webpage.
Questions Or Need Help?
- Visit the MyWisconsin FAQ webpage for answers to common questions, or contact the MyWisconsin account service desk at 608-471-6667.
- For support with Environmental Loans Online Systems, contact your DNR loan project manager. For more information, see the Environmental Loans Staff Directory webpage.
- For additional assistance, or if you do not have an assigned DNR loan project manager, contact Jenny Kilps, Environmental Loans Online Systems database and file manager, at Jennifer.Kilps@wisconsin.gov or 608-228-8422.
Meja Maka Retired
After nearly 39 years of state service, Meja Maka, Environmental Loans Section project manager, decided it was time to retire. His last day in the office was July 31, 2025.
Meja’s kindness and easy-going, inquisitive nature will be missed by staff in the DNR’s Bureau of Community Financial Assistance (CFA). Meja shared with us his retirement goals include gardening, travelling in the U.S.A. and abroad to observe wildlife, and tutoring in algebra and economics. We wish Meja the best in his retirement where we know he will fulfill his desire to travel and continue his passion for learning.
In May 1985, Meja began working for the DNR as a limited term employee and in the following year he was selected for a full-time equivalency project position. In December 1987, Meja joined the DNR’s CFA Bureau in a full-time permanent position and went on to serve in many important roles during the next 38 years, to the benefit of Wisconsin’s Environmental Improvement Fund programs.
Meja served as a Community Service Specialist for the EPA Construction Grants Program (wastewater treatment facility projects) and the Wisconsin Fund Grant Program (point source pollution abatement projects) before they were replaced by the Clean Water Fund Program and loan financing in 1991. He served as the program coordinator for Federal Advances of Allowance that worked with municipalities to finance the adoption of innovative technologies. In 1997, he was involved with the creation of the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (public water system projects).
Under the official title of Financial Assistance Specialist, Meja filled various roles, serving as a loan project manager and the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) specialist. For a limited period of time, he also did the DBE reporting for the entire DNR. In June 2019, Meja was selected to fill a loan project manager position with specialty areas covering multi-funding source projects, innovative small system technologies, and unsewered project funding.
You may recall that Meja retired from the DNR’s Environmental Loans Section in July 2020. After nearly 15 months, he was back to help us process the anticipated influx of projects due to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. His efforts as a project manager between 1987 and 2020 and again between 2021 and 2025 altogether lead to the issuance of at least $640 million in agreements to improve municipal water infrastructure in Wisconsin.
Congratulations on your retirement, Meja, and on your achievements that benefit the people of Wisconsin by having managed and supported projects that protect public health, protect valuable aquatic resources, and meet environmental standards.
Upcoming Deadlines And Events
The deadlines for the notice of intent to apply, application and loan closing are set in the corresponding program's annual intended use plan, see the DNR's Project Lists and Intended Use Plans webpage.
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Aug. 28: Requests for disbursements are due to the DNR at noon on Thursday, Aug. 28 to be paid on the disbursement date of Wednesday, Sept. 10 (schedule adjusted for Labor Day).
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Sept. 24: Final loan closing date for the state fiscal year 2025 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program projects.
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Sept. 30: Application deadline if competing for principal forgiveness for the state fiscal year 2026 Clean Water Fund Program funding cycle. The DNR recommends that all applicants (even those not competing for principal forgiveness) submit an application by the Sept. 30 deadline due to potential limitations on loan capacity. See the Loan Capacity webpage for more information. Note the following reminders:
- A facility plan approval letter must be uploaded to the online application for all projects.
- Plans and specifications must be uploaded to the online application and submitted to the DNR Bureau of Water Quality through the wastewater plan review process by the application deadline.
- The period to submit a priority score reevaluation request opens the day after the application deadline and runs for a period of 30 days (Oct. 1 through Oct. 30).
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Sept. 30: Last recommended date for submitting rate case applications to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for the state fiscal year 2026 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program projects.
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September 2025: The DNR intends to publish the state fiscal year 2026 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program draft funding list.
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Oct. 30: Requests for disbursements are due to the DNR at noon on Thursday, Oct. 30 to be paid on the disbursement date of Wednesday, Nov. 12 (schedule adjusted for Veterans Day).
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Oct. 31: Notice of intent to apply deadline for the state fiscal year 2027 Clean Water Fund Program and Safe Drinking Water Loan Program funding cycles. Note: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), is meant to provide additional funding in state fiscal years 2023-2027. For details, see the DNR’s BIL Funding webpage.
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November 2025: The DNR intends to publish the state fiscal year 2026 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program final funding list.
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December 2025: The DNR intends to publish the state fiscal year 2026 Clean Water Fund Program funding list.
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Dec. 11: Requests for disbursements are due to the DNR at noon on Thursday, Dec. 11 to be paid on the disbursement date of Tuesday, Dec. 23 (schedule adjusted for Christmas Day). Note: No loan closings will occur on Dec. 23.
Newsletter Sign Up
For timely delivery of future newsletters and bulletins, please send an email request with your contact information to Kay Christensen, DNR Environmental Loans Section outreach coordinator, at Kay.Christensen@Wisconsin.gov. She will add you to the email list. If you want, she can also remove you from this list.
The DNR Environmental Loans Section tries to publish a newsletter every 1-2 months. Previous newsletters and bulletins are available on our News webpage.
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