Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
Low Interest Loans for Public Water Systems
The DWSRF is a federal/state partnership program
designed to:
- Provide loans to public water
systems for capital improvements aimed at increasing public
health protection.
- Provide a source of funds for other Safe
Drinking Water Act activities.
- Provide low interest rate of
1.0 - 1.5%.
For 2011, our Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program received 48
applications requesting $72 million. We had about $69 million
to loan to water systems, with 37 receiving funding.
All applications
go through a scoring and ranking process that addresses the most
serious risks to public health. We also look at "green" elements
for significant water or energy savings.
NEW:
2012 information to assist water systems with DWSRF
funding:
This year's application period begins on January 1 and ends
on March 1, 2012.
New this year, water systems will apply for 2012 DWSRF
funding through an online application. You must first register
with
SecureAccess Washington
(SAW).
Enter your name and
e-mail address to get started.
SecureAccess Washington allows you to access multiple online government services
with one user ID and password, so you will only need to register
once. Registering for SecureAccess Washington is necessary to allow you to apply for DWSRF using an
electronic signature.
If you have problems getting started with
SecureAccess Washington
or the online
application, contact
Sara Herrera at (360) 236-3089 and she can walk you through
the process.
Once you're registered, you can complete the 2012
application. Also included are historical cultural review
questions that will generate necessary forms when needed.
The online application will let you create and attach a
topographical map of your project area. You can also attach
necessary supporting documentation. If you cannot complete your
application online, the forms are available
here.
Updated Guidelines Available
-
2012 Guidelines
document for more information
- We adopted the final rule on December 19, 2011, and it goes into
effect on February 1, 2012.
- Final rule language
(PDF) is currently available and the
updated rule will be on the Code Reviser's website on
February 1, 2012.
New for 2012: Required Investment Grade Efficiency Audit
A new Washington State law requires all public water systems
that receive loans or grants for infrastructure to complete an
investment grade efficiency audit (IGEA). This is an effort to
apply energy efficiency to water systems, similar to DOH's Green
Projects that was started in 2009.
Water systems are required to do the IGEA. You may finance your
audit as part of your drinking water state revolving loan. The
audit can be prepared by your power provider or an energy services
company (ESCO). More information is available in this presentation
on Infrastructure Financing: "New
Requirements for Energy Efficiency."
For guidance on how to proceed with a preliminary audit, or to
learn more about this requirement, call
Roger Wigfield,
energy program manager at the Department of Enterprise Services,
at (360) 902-7198.
Environmental and Cultural Reviews
Recipients receiving federal funds must comply with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/State Environmental
Review Process (SEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA),
Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and other
regulations depending on the nature of the project and potential
impacts to the environment and cultural resources. If your
project has additional funding, you will need to coordinate the
reviews with Aleceia Tilley, Environmental Review and
Section 106 Lead, (360) 236-3095.
Reference materials
Natural Resources Grants and Loans
Washington State natural resource agencies offer millions of
dollars in grants and loans for projects that improve the
environment, create recreational opportunities, conserve
farmland, and educate the public.
Use the links below for more information.
Technical Assistance
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