WaterNow Alliance, in collaboration with the Southwest Environmental Finance Center and team of partners, is supporting communities in EPA Region 6 access State Revolving Fund (SRF) money, as well as the additional Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding.
The Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Assistance Program is helping systems and Tribes navigate the entire SRF funding process, with a focus on ensuring small, under-resourced, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) isolated, Tribal, traditionally underserved, and rural and urban disadvantaged communities are engaged and well-served. The project team is committed to engaging with communities to ensure water infrastructure projects fit community values and needs (the goal is “shovel-worthy” rather than just “shovel-ready” projects).
Drinking water systems, wastewater systems, stormwater systems, and Tribal systems in EPA Region 6 (New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana) who are facing problems that could result in an infrastructure funding application are eligible to participate in the program. The program can assist communities in the following areas:
- Evaluating system needs: initial assessments, studies, plan development and coordination, asset management, and assistance seeking funding for preliminary studies and plans)
- Project development: alternative analysis, selecting engineers, lead service line inventories (LSLs), environmental reviews, and applying for funding for preliminary engineering reports (PERs).
- Technical assistance and capacity building: decision maker and board education, building water system partnerships, trainings and webinars
- Finance and funding: rates and revenue analysis, fiscal analysis, financial planning, identification of funding options, and application support.
- Construction management: bid support, change order reviews, project inspection (limited services), and federal requirement assistance, such as Davis Bacon and domestic preference.
- Creating additional tools and resources based on the needs of systems.
If you are a system in EPA Region 6, you can request assistance through the program here.
Questions? Contact Becky Anderson ([email protected]) or Victoria Arling ([email protected]).
