What are the commonly used funding sources for water and wastewater infrastructure projects?
How does the State Revolving Fund work?
Administered by the Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Budget and Control Board, the SRF is made up of two distinct loan programs: the Clean Water SRF for publicly owned wastewater facilities and the Drinking Water SRF for public drinking water facilities. Both programs offer long-term (up to 20 or 30 years), fixed rate, low-interest (currently 1-2 percent) loans.
Loan eligibility is based on priority lists maintained for each program. Projects can be added to the priority lists at any time by submitting a project questionnaire to DHEC. To receive funding, the entity must obtain a construction permit from DHEC and submit a loan application to the Budget and Control Board. Applications are accepted from October 1 through July 31 of each fiscal year.
How is the Rural Infrastructure Authority different from SRF?
The RIA offers competitive grants to support qualified rural infrastructure projects for public water, wastewater and facilities. To be eligible for funding, the project must be in a county designated as distressed or least developed, in a census tract located outside of an urbanized area, or in a nondesignated county that meets the same eligibility criteria at a census tract level as a designated county. For Fiscal Year 2014, the RIA has $12 million available to fund projects under four grant program categories: basic infrastructure, emergency infrastructure, economic development infrastructure and economic impact projects.
Entities can apply for basic and economic development infrastructure grants of up to $350,000. Applications for the basic and economic development grants were due on February 3. Emergency infrastructure grants for a maximum of $50,000 and economic impact grants for a maximum of $500,000 are accepted at any time.
What assistance is available through the state Community Development Block Grant Program?
Administered by the Department of Commerce’s Grant Administration Division, the CDBG Program provides grants to local governments that do not receive direct funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. CDBG grants can fund a wide variety of projects, including water and sewer infrastructure and public facilities, as long as 51 percent of the project’s beneficiaries are low to moderate income. The grants are awarded based on a competitive process. Potential applicants must submit an application request form at least 30 days prior to the application due date. Applications, deadlines and information on eligibility and how to apply are available at www.cdbgSC.com.