Environmental Loans January 2026 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.
Responses To Public Comments On State Fiscal Year 2026 Clean Water Fund Program Draft Intended Use Plan Available
The public comment period for the draft state fiscal year 2026 Clean Water Fund Program intended use plan closed earlier this year. The comments and the corresponding responses are now available on the DNR’s Project Lists and Intended Use Plans webpage. We appreciate the engagement we received, and the patience commenters have shown while awaiting responses.
Amended Safe Drinking Water Loan Program State Fiscal Year 2026 Intended Use Plan Published
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Loans Section published the amended final state fiscal year 2026 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program intended use plan to the Project Lists and Intended Use Plans webpage on Jan. 7, 2026.
The final intended use plan was amended to include the federal fiscal year 2025 lead service line capitalization grant allocations and the previous years’ reallotments that were released on Nov. 25, 2025, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Guidelines For When Construction Commences Before Applying For CWFP Or SDWLP Financial Assistance
Is your municipality interested in starting construction for a project before applying for financial assistance from the Wisconsin DNR’s Clean Water Fund Program (CWFP) or Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP)?
We’ve put together the “Guidelines For When Construction Commences Before Applying For Financial Assistance From The Clean Water Fund Program Or The Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (PUB-CF-049)” with a list of considerations and procedures your municipality and its consultants can follow to avoid issues later on. This guide applies to projects of municipalities that have not submitted an application for financial assistance.
If construction has already begun, or is imminent, it's strongly recommended to contact the Clean Water Fund Program or the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program as soon as possible. Program staff will provide guidance as to whether the project can still be considered for financial assistance and what steps would need to be taken.
Note: This publication is also known as the “Construction Before Application Guide.”
Prepare Now For State Fiscal Year 2027 Application Submittals
All projects with a valid state fiscal year 2027 notice of intent to apply submittal will be placed, in priority score order, on the corresponding program’s project priority list and will be eligible to submit a financial assistance application for the state fiscal year 2027 funding cycle. We anticipate posting the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program and the Clean Water Fund Program state fiscal year 2027 project priority lists in spring 2026 to the Project Lists and Intended Use Plans webpage.
We encourage you to start your application early so that there will be time to contact DNR staff prior to the deadline if you run into any questions.
Prep Work
DNR strongly recommends that applicants give themselves at least a couple of weeks to complete the application in the online system. The online application system has help text built-in to clarify what information and supporting documentation are needed for that question/section.
To further help applicants through the application process, information, instructions and guidance documents are on our Online Systems webpage:
- MyWisconsin ID and Switchboard Access instructions
- Online Submittal Authorization Certificate (Form 8700-377)
- The "Next Steps" publication is a timeline on when to procure the documents required for the application.
- The "Application Process and Contents" publication is a detailed checklist of required documentation, including the financial information that is required by the Department of Administration.
- The "Application Help" publication explains how to navigate the online application system and what information and supporting documentation are required for each question/section of the application.
- Access link to the online application system
Online Application Availability
The online application system will become available once the project priority list has been published for a respective program. This will occur once all notices of intent to apply have been reviewed for an initial eligibility determination.
- Applicants may begin submitting applications at any point after the system becomes available.
Deadlines
Complete and submit a financial assistance application with all required documentation through the online system by the corresponding program’s application deadline. The DNR recommends that all applicants (even those not competing for principal forgiveness) submit an application by the deadline due to potential limitations with loan capacity.
Safe Drinking Water Loan Program
June 30, 2026 – Safe Drinking Water Loan Program application deadline if competing for principal forgiveness for the state fiscal year 2027 funding cycle. Note the following reminders:
Clean Water Fund Program
Sept. 30, 2026 – Clean Water Fund Program application deadline if competing for principal forgiveness for the state fiscal year 2027 funding cycle. 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 additionally submitted to the DNR Bureau of Water Quality through the wastewater plan review process by the application deadline.
- Application instructions for storm water projects are available on the Storm Water Projects webpage.
- 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).
- Applications submitted after Sept. 30 may still receive a loan and be considered for Energy Efficiency Priority Principal Forgiveness if funding is available.
- The pilot projects application is currently not available in the online system, use Form 8700-378.
Contact Information
Direct questions about using the online systems to Jenny Kilps, Environmental Loans Online Systems file and database manager, at Jennifer.Kilps@wisconsin.gov or 608-228-8422.
Direct questions about the application contents to the appropriate coordinator or specialist:
Submit Facilities Plan By End Of March 2026 For State Fiscal Year 2027 Clean Water Funding
An approved facilities plan is required for all Clean Water Fund Program projects, including storm water projects, regardless of a “reviewable” or “maintenance” project classification. A facilities plan covers federal requirements such as the cost-effectiveness analysis and the environmental analysis. Even projects that do not fit under the definition of a “reviewable project” under chapter NR 110, Wis. Adm. Code, must complete a facilities plan to be eligible for Clean Water Fund Program financial assistance.
For requirements, refer to the DNR’s:
Sanitary Sewer Projects
For sanitary sewer replacement or rehabilitation projects, an abbreviated facilities plan (also known as an engineering report) can often fill the requirement of a facilities plan. View the “Collection System Projects” section of the DNR’s Municipal Wastewater Facility Planning webpage for a list of what elements should be included in an engineering report.
Storm Sewer Projects
In order to be eligible for funding from the Clean Water Fund Program, storm water projects must lead to or provide treatment to control discharged water quality. For storm water quality improvement projects, a facility plan similar to the wastewater facilities plan is required with a map of the drainage basin and the expected level of pollutant removal included.
Timing
It is strongly recommended that the facilities plan is submitted to the DNR Bureau of Water Quality or DNR Bureau of Watershed Management at least six months prior to the Clean Water Fund Program application deadline to allow sufficient time for review and approval. Since the state fiscal year 2027 Clean Water Fund Program application deadline is Sept. 30, 2026, facilities plans should be submitted to the DNR by the end of March 2026.
Applicants must upload a facility plan approval letter with their application for the application to be considered complete.
Obtain Approvals Prior To Starting Construction
In addition, facilities plans can only be approved if construction has not yet commenced. If there is any chance that a project will seek Clean Water Fund Program funding, then you are encouraged to obtain facility plan approval prior to starting construction. If the facility plan cannot be approved, then the Clean Water Fund Program cannot fund the project.
Contact Information
For questions on the facilities plan requirement for wastewater projects, please contact DNR wastewater systems plan review staff.
For questions on the facilities plan or engineering report requirement for storm water quality projects, please contact the DNR regional storm water engineer plan reviewer or DNR central office storm water engineer, Amy Minser.
Plan Reviews For State Fiscal Year 2027 Safe Drinking Water Funding
Project review and approval of plans and specifications by the DNR Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater is a mandatory step in the process of applying for and receiving Safe Drinking Water Loan Program funding. If your municipality is seeking to submit a financial assistance application for the state fiscal year 2027 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program by the principal forgiveness application deadline of June 30, 2026, then you must also submit the project to the DNR Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater’s Public Water Engineering Section for plans and specifications review by no later than the June 30 application deadline.
The plans and specifications submittal process is for all community water system improvements that are required under chapters NR 108 and NR 811, Wis. Adm. Code. This submittal is in addition to the requirement to upload plans and specifications to the online application for loan funding. We recommend that you submit the project for plans and specifications review well before the application deadline, when possible, to ensure adequate time for review.
Determine and follow the plans and specifications and engineering report submittal requirements from the DNR Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau:
The department routinely updates plan review forms, so check the website regularly for the most up-to-date information.
We encourage you to reach out to the department’s Public Water Engineering Section early on with any questions or concerns related to the project. To contact this section, email DNRPublicWaterPlanReview@wisconsin.gov.
Engineering Reports
Certain project categories require an engineering report to be submitted as part of the plans and specifications review process. If an engineering report is required for your state fiscal year 2027 project, it can be submitted before or along with the plans and specifications to the DNR Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau’s Public Water Engineering Section for review by the June 30, 2026 application deadline. The engineering report should comply with the applicable engineering report requirements contained in chapters NR 108 and NR 811, Wis. Adm. Code, for the type of project being constructed.
Plans And Specifications
Final plans and specifications indicate the documents are complete, biddable and approvable, for all parts of the project being financed through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. They must also include a seal and signature indicating that they were prepared under the supervision of a professional engineer licensed in Wisconsin, if applicable for the project type which can be found in section NR 811.08(3), Wis. Adm. Code. For new well projects, the specific requirements for submittal can be found under s. NR 811.09(1)(b)., Wis. Adm. Code. and must be submitted by the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program application deadline. Please note: Any wellhouse, treatment or other site-specific well-related plans can be submitted following final well construction. Plans and specifications need to be approved by the department in time to meet the loan closing deadline.
DNR Approval
The department’s approval for engineering reports and/or the plans and specifications are not required at the time of application. However, if approval has been received, please upload the approval letter(s) to the online application if they are available at the time that you submit the application. Plans and specifications approval by the department is required prior to preparation of the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program financial assistance agreement.
Obtain Plan Review Approvals Prior To Starting Construction
Commencing construction of any reviewable project without first obtaining the department’s written approval of the final plans and specifications for the project is a violation of s. NR 108.03(1). Additionally, the department is prohibited from approving plans and specifications for any project for which construction has commenced, per s. NR 108.04(5). Any entities that commence construction without the department’s plans and specifications approval are ineligible for the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program funds.
To contact plan reviewers, email DNRPublicWaterPlanReview@wisconsin.gov
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 Project Lists and Intended Use Plans webpage.
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March 31: The last recommended date for submitting facilities plans to the DNR for review and approval for the state fiscal year 2027 Clean Water Fund Program funding cycle. Information on submitting these facilities plans is available on the DNR’s Municipal Wastewater Facility Planning webpage and/or Storm Water Technical Standards, Models and BMPs webpage.
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Late winter/spring 2026: The DNR intends to publish the state fiscal year 2027 Clean Water Fund Program project priority list.
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Spring 2026: The DNR intends to publish the state fiscal year 2027 Safe Drinking Water Loan Program project priority list and the fiscal year 2027 Lead Service Line Replacement Program intent to apply list.
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.
Note: You can also sign up to receive updates from the Wisconsin DNR on diverse topics.
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