Reserves: Identification and Justification of Your System’s Capital Reserve Funding Goals

Utility managers and decision makers know that saving for the future is important.  The question is not whether to do it, but to what level.  What is the magic number? In the absence of a crystal ball, we are left to estimate future capital investment needs based on a series of assumptions.  This becomes a … Read more

Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act

In October, President Donald Trump signed the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act into law. The new law promises to add flexibility to the State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs to help finance projects that reduce lead in drinking water. The Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act allows transfers from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) to … Read more

Utilities Eligible for USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Funding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced $300 million in available funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This program encourages partnerships to address natural resource concerns related to agriculture at scale. With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, at least 10% of NRCS conservation spending will go … Read more

USDA Invests $192 Million in Rural Water Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $192 million in 71 rural water infrastructure projects across 29 states. The funding comes from the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. Rural communities, water districts and other eligible entities can use the funds for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems in rural … Read more

North Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin Apply for Third Round of WIFIA Funding

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) received 51 letters of interest, collectively requesting $6.6 billion, from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) third round of the funding application process. “Since the WIFIA program’s inception in 2017, EPA has received requests totaling $21.7 billion for water infrastructure projects across the country – evidence of … Read more

USEPA Announces $2.6 Billion in New Funding

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recently announced the availability of $2.6 billion in new funds to assist States, Tribes and territories with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across the country. In 2019, USEPA is making available more than $1 billion in new Federal grant funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). This funding … Read more