Water and Sewer Infrastructure

The Final Rule issued by the Treasury aligned eligible Water and Sewer Infrastructure projects with the eligibility requirements of the EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) or Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). These projects are presumed eligible, with the exception of projects for the rehabilitation of dams and reservoirs.

CWSRF includes projects that, per the EPA website, “construct, improve, or repair wastewater treatment plants, control non-point sources of pollution, improve resiliency of infrastructure to severe weather events, create green infrastructure, and protect waterbodies from pollution.”

Subcategories of CWSRF include:

Centralized Wastewater Treatment
Centralized Wastewater Collection and Conveyance
Decentralized Wastewater Treatment
Combined Sewer Overflows
Other Sewer Infrastructure
Energy Conservation
Water Conservation
Nonpoint Source

DWSRF includes projects that, per the EPA website, “construct, improve, or repair drinking water treatment plants, fix leaky or old pipes, improve source of water supply, replace or construct water storage tanks, or protect public health.”

Subcategories of DWSRF include:

Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Transmission and Distribution
Lead Remediation
New Drinking Water Sources
Drinking Water Storage
Green Infrastructure
Purchase of Water Systems and Interconnection of Systems
New Community Water Systems
Other Water Infrastructure

The Treasury also allows for water and sewer infrastructure projects deemed necessary, beyond what is outlined by CWSRF and DWSRF. The Final Rule broadened eligibility of Water and Sewer Infrastructure projects if they are proved to be necessary, as defined by (1) responsive to an identified need to achieve or maintain an adequate minimum level of service (2) a cost-effective means for meeting that need, and (3) for investments in infrastructure that supply drinking water in order to meet projected population growth, projected to be sustainable over its estimated useful life.

Subcategories of additionally eligible infrastructure projects include:

Culvert Repair, Resizing, and Removal
Replacement of Storm Sewers
Other Stormwater Infrastructure
Access to Safe Drinking Water
Dam and Reservoir Rehabilitation

Only eligible if the primary purpose of dam or reservoir is for drinking water supply, and project is necessary for provision of drinking water

Lead remediation projects eligible under EPA grant programs authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, including:

Lead testing
Lead service line replacement
Installation of corrosion control treatment
Water quality testing and compliance monitoring
Other remediation activities

For Water/Sewer infrastructure projects the County will require that applicants include either a Town Meeting or City Council vote authorizing the project, unless the project is fully funded from grants. Depending upon the project, the grant awards may be in the form of advancements or reimbursements to the applicant. The grantee will be required to report on a quarterly basis the status of the project, including expenditures.

Quotes obtained from the Department of the Treasury's Final Rule