Region 1: EPA New England

Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CW SRF) in New England

This page provides information on EPA New England’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The page highlights how the program works, what kinds of water projects are funded, and who can apply for them. The page also contains examples of successful projects and links to our New England state partners.

Introduction

What is the CW SRF?
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CW SRF) program is a federal/state partnership designed to finance the cost of infrastructure needed to achieve compliance with the Clean Water Act. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CW SRF) program is available to fund a wide variety of water quality projects including: 1) traditional municipal wastewater treatment projects; 2) contaminated runoff from urban and agricultural areas; 3) wetlands restoration; 4) groundwater protection; 5) brownfields remediation; and 6) estuary management. Projects types 2 through 5 must pertain to nonpoint source and estuary water quality protection and/or restoration projects.

Through the CW SRF program, each of the six New England states maintains revolving loan funds to provide low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects. Funds to establish or capitalize the CW SRF programs are provided through federal government grants and state matching funds (equal to 20% of federal government grants).

How does it work?
CW SRF programs operate much like environmental infrastructure banks that are capitalized with federal and state contributions. CW SRF monies are loaned to communities and loan repayments are recycled back into the program to fund additional water quality protection projects. The revolving nature of these programs provides for an ongoing funding source that will last far into the future.