GPR Eligibility Guidance

GPR Eligibility Guidance

Federal goals for green infrastructure, energy efficiency improvements, water efficiency improvements, and environmentally innovative activities are outlined in the following details of the Green Project Reserve (GPR) for the Clean Water SRF program. Read the full report for examples of categorically eligible projects. GPR can be used for planning, designing and building activities, specifically targeting previously rejected or underfunded projects. State SRF programs should follow the criteria to find projects eligible to count toward GPR. Read a definition of green stormwater infrastructure on regional and local levels, followed by unacceptable projects, such as in-line and end-of-pipe treatment systems that only filter or detain stormwater. Water efficiency is the use of improved technologies and practices to deliver equal or better services with less water. Eight project examples are followed by projects that do not meet the criteria, such as agricultural flood irrigation. Energy efficiency, the aim to reduce energy consumption of water quality projects, could be collection system infiltration/inflow detection equipment, for example, but not facultative lagoons. The environmentally innovative section of the criteria include those demonstrating new or innovative approaches to delivering services or managing water resources in a more sustainable way. For example, an integrated water resource management plan likely resulting in a capital project, but not eligible would be air scrubbers to prevent nonpoint source deposition. Learn how to identify projects and write business cases for proof of “green” aspects of a project using the EPA’s guidelines and best practices.