System and Operational Improvements: Funding Sources

Funding Sources

Managers of publicly owned water supply systems may use a variety of funding sources to support the costs of construction, operation and maintenance, lab testing, and employment. Sources include hook up fees and usage billings, municipal bonds, and state funding through mechanisms such as revolving fund loans. This page describes Federal funding through the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality or from EPA Region 8.

On this page

Wyoming State Revolving Funds Program

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, established the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) to make funds available to drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements. If you are affiliated with a Wyoming publicly-owned water supply system, you are eligible to apply to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WYDEQ) for revolving fund loans.

Applicants eligible to apply to the Wyoming Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program are state agencies, counties, municipalities, joint powers boards, and other entities constituting a political subdivision under the laws of the state (such as water improvement districts).

Eligible projects include most drinking water source, treatment, transmission, storage, and distribution projects for a public water system or that create a new public water system.

WYDEQ ranks projects using its priority ranking system, which is based on public health issues, compliance issues, system deficiencies, and affordability criteria. Projects are then listed according to their priority ranking in the current Wyoming DWSRF Intended Use Plan(IUP). The DWSRF IUP is updated once annually in the fall.

More information can be found at the Wyoming Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Exit webpage. Opportunities to apply are announced annually.

Top of page


DWSRF Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set-Aside Program

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, authorized EPA to set-aside up to 1½ percent, of the amount available for the DWSRF for grants to improve the infrastructure of drinking water systems that serve Indian tribes (SDWA §1452i).

If you are associated with a Tribally-owned water supply system, instead of state revolving fund loans, you have the opportunity to apply for grants issued under the Tribal Set-Aside Program of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grant (DWIG-TSA) Program. Community water systems, and non-profit, non-community water systems that serve a tribal population are eligible to have projects funded, in whole or in part, with DWIG TSA funds.

Most types of projects that improve the health of the public being served by the drinking water system are eligible for funding. Examples are projects that rehabilitate or develop a source of drinking water, or that install or upgrade treatment, storage, or transmission facilities. Funds may also be used to conduct project feasibility studies, perform engineering design work, and for project administration.

The USEPA annually announces competition for available funding in the Understanding, Managing, and Applying for EPA Grants web area and also mails notices to Tribal governments.

Any federally recognized Indian tribe is eligible to receive a project grant through the program. Tribes may receive grants directly and manage and administer projects themselves, or they may request that project funds be directed to the Indian Health Service (IHS) Exit if the tribe would like the IHS to administer the project, and IHS agrees to do so.

EPA Region 8 uses the following guidelines to administer the DWSRF Tribal Set-Aside Program and to award federal grants for infrastructure improvements for public drinking water systems that serve Tribes.

Solicitations

When the funds are transferred each year to the Regional Office, EPA Region 8 will notify all tribal governments within Region 8 of the availability and amount of funds, including a copy of the Guidelines and proposal submission process. The Tribes must submit project proposals to EPA Region 8 by the deadline specified in the notification letter. Those submitted after the deadline will not be considered during that round of funding. EPA will use the project proposal form, and all supporting information to consider the eligibility of the project. If all or part of the project is eligible, EPA Region 8 will use the information provided in the application to rate the proposal based on the criteria shown in Appendix C of the Region 8 TSA Guidlines listed above. If additional information is required to accurately rank the proposal, EPA Region 8 will request the information from the tribe.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Minnie Moore Adams (8P-W-TF)
USEPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202

Telephone: 303-312-6624
Fax: 303-312-6116
Email: adams.minnie@epa.gov

Top of page