Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: EPA Funding for Drinking Water Activities

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-182) authorize a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program to assist public water systems to finance the costs of infrastructure needed to achieve or maintain compliance with SDWA requirements and to protect public health. Section 1452 authorizes the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award capitalization grants to States, which in turn can provide low cost loans and other types of assistance to eligible systems.

The SDWA Amendments also establish a strong new emphasis on preventing contamination problems through source water protection and enhanced water systems management. That emphasis transforms the previous law from a largely after-the- fact regulatory oriented program into a statute that can provide for the sustainable use of water. Central to this emphasis is the development of State prevention programs, including source water protection, capacity development and operator certification. States have the option to use a portion of their capitalization grant to fund these eligible activities as allowed in the statute. The success of these activities will act to safeguard the DWSRF funds that are loaned for improving system compliance and public health protection, and help determine whether the new law's potential as a preventive environmental statute is realized.

The DWSRF program will help ensure that the nation's drinking water supplies remain safe and affordable, that drinking water systems that receive funding will be properly operated and maintained, and that permanent institutions will exist in each State to provide financial support for drinking water needs for many years to come. Congress has placed particular emphasis on assisting smaller drinking water systems, and those serving less affluent populations, by providing greater funding flexibility for these systems under the DWSRF to ensure that systems have adequate technical, managerial, and financial resources to maintain compliance and provide safe water.

• New England Water Infrastructure Funding Options Brochure (PDF) (12 pp., 982 KB, about PDF)
• 2006 DWSRF Annual Report (PDF) (44 pp., 2.4 MB, about PDF)
• DWSRF
• Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund for Federal Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 Funds (PDF) (32 pp., 1.34 MB, about PDF)
• EPA Drinking Water SRF Contacts (PDF) (1 p., 99 KB, about PDF)
• State Drinking Water SRF Contacts (PDF) (6 pp., 17 KB, about PDF)