Federal Funding Sources for Small Community Wastewater Systems

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program gives grants directly to states, which then allocate them to small cities and nonurban counties. Grants may be used for community and economic development activities, but are primarily used for housing rehabilitation, public infrastructure projects--e.g., wastewater and drinking water facilities--and economic development. Seventy (70) percent of grant funds must be used for activities that principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons.

Generally, fundable projects:

HUD has approximately 42 offices nationwide. See your local telephone directory. Local officials should contact their state agencies, then the appropriate HUD field agency.

Clearinghouse for more information:
1-800-998-9999, or visit the website below.
Web site: http://www.hud.gov/cpd/cdbg.html

Tel.: 202-708-1322,
Fax: 202-401-2044,

The Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) program provides both loans and grants to rural communities (with 10,000 people or fewer) for drinking water, wastewater, solid waste, and storm drainage projects. RUS also administers the "Water 2000" initiative to bring safe, affordable drinking water to all rural areas by the year 2000. These programs are administered locally by state and area rural development offices.

Funding covers such things as:
- construction;
- land acquisition;

Tel.: 202-720-9583

Fax: 202-690-0649

Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/

The Indian Health Service (IHS) Sanitation Facilities Construction (SFC) program keeps an inventory of sanitation needs in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities for use by IHS and Congress. The SFC program provides funding for projects serving eligible AI/AN homes. It also funds professional engineering services and technical assistance.

Typically, SFC projects are designed to:

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) provides grants to economically distressed areas for public works projects, including water and wastewater facilities.

Refer to your local telephone directory for the Economic Development Administration state or regional offices in your area. Telephone numbers are listed below:

Philadelphia, Pa.   215-597-1072/
                    1082/8733
Atlanta, Ga.	    404-730-3012
Denver, Colo.	    303-844-5452/
                    4033
Seattle, Wash.	    206-220-7702
Austin, Tex.	    412-916-5824/
                    5217
Chicago, Ill.	    312-353-8143

Tel.: 202-482-5265
Fax: 202-482-3742

Internet or e-mail: Mcilwain@doe.gov

EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program provides grants to states (and Puerto Rico) to capitalize state loan funds. States provide a 20-percent match. Each state SRF then makes low-interest loans to communities, individuals, and others for high-priority water-quality management activities. As money is paid back into the revolving fund, new loans are made to help others maintain their water quality.

This federal-state partnership gives states the flexibility to fund their highest priority projects to improve water quality.

For an SRF program representative in your state, call the telephone number, or contact the e-mail address or web site below.
Tel.: 202-260-2268
Fax: 202-260-1827
E-mail: comments.web@epa.gov
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/contacts.htm
(list of state SRF contacts); or
http://www.epa.gov/owm
(for more information about the Clean Water SRF)

EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program provides states with grants to capitalize their loan funds. States provide a 20-percent match. Each state then gives loans or technical assistance to communities, individuals, and others for high-priority projects designed to meet Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements and protect public health.

Eligible activities, under federal guidelines, are:

Smaller, more financially strapped systems, such as mobile home parks or homeowners associations,

To apply for a DWSRF program grant, states must submit EPA's standard application for non-construction grant

For an SRF program representative in your state, call the telephone number or visit the web site below.
Tel.: 202-260-5557
Fax: 202-260-0732
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/contacts.htm
(list of state SRF contacts)

EPA developed the Hardship Grants program to help small, disadvantaged rural communities address their wastewater treatment needs. States identify eligible projects and may commit a portion of their grants for technical assistance. Designed to complement the CWSRF loan program, this new program will distribute funds based on:

Regional or local office:

For the name and phone number of the hardship grants coordinator in your state, contact the e-mail address or visit the web site below.

srfinfo@epamail.epa.gov

Website: http://www.epa.gov/owm

The Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Grant program is designed to assist Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages in planning, designing, and building wastewater systems. EPA

and the Indian Health Service (IHS) are working together to administer the program. This partnership makes the most out of the technical resources of both agencies.

Grants can pay for land that will be an integral part of the treatment process or ultimately used for disposing of treatment residues. Grant funds may not be used to operate and maintain the wastewater facility.

All necessary application information may be found in the EPA 1989 Guidelines and Requirements for Applying for Grants from the Indian Set-Aside Program document and in its 1995 Addendum. Contact the EPA regional or IHS area office serving your tribal area for help in filling out forms and in clarifying project requirements.

Note: A companion Indian set-aside program for drinking water is currently under development. You may contact your regional coordinator for more information.

The name and phone number of your Regional Indian Set-Aside Coordinator is listed below.

EPA Region I
(Conn., Maine, Mass., N.H., R.I. Vt.)
Debbie Kerr: 617-565-4886

EPA Region II
(N.J., N.Y.)
Muhammad Hatim: 212-637-3855

EPA Region IV
(Ala., Ga., Fla., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Ky.)
Walter Hunter: 404-562-9477

EPA Region V
(Ill., Ind., Ohio, Mich., Minn., Wis.)
Charles Pycha: 312-886-0259

EPA Region VI
(Ariz., La., Okla., Tex., N.M.)
Gene Wossum: 214-665-7173

EPA Region VII
(Iowa, Kans., Mo., Nebr.)
Gerald Gutekunst: 913-551-7484

EPA Region VIII
(Colo., Utah, Wyo., Mont., N.D., S.D.)
Terry Griffith: 303-312-6153

EPA Region IX
(Ariz., Calif., Nev.)
Loretta Vanegas: 415-744-1946

EPA Region X
(Alaska, Idaho, Oreg., Wash.)
Judy Fey: 206-553-1302

Tel.: 202-260-7255
Fax: 202-260-0116
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/owm/mab/indian/cwisa.htm

Note: Two other federal programs have set-aside funding for colonias assistance, including water and wastewater facilities. Please refer to the specific program descriptions found in this brochure for:

The Colonias Wastewater Assistance program provides grants to states along the U.S.-Mexico border to design and build wastewater treatment facilities for "colonias." These are low-income, unincorporated border communities

Individual states administer these programs and match EPA funds.

To date, funds have been provided only to Texas and New Mexico.

New Mexico Environment Department
Haywood Martin
505-827-2809

Tel.:214-665-7110\

Tel.: 202-260-5841
Fax: 202-260-0116

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) offers grants in designated Appalachian regions within the following 13 States: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The grants are intended to create jobs and promote private sector initiative by funding water and sewer facilities. Assistance is limited to 50 percent of total project costs, except for distressed counties, where the limit is 80 percent.

ARC can provide supplemental grants in 94 designated distressed counties to help meet local match requirements for federal funding.

See your local telephone directory for your Appalachian State office, or visit the website below.

Web site: http://www.arc.gov

Tel.: 202-884-7700
Fax: 202-884-7691