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Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
ACTIVITY One-Stop Shopping in the Clean Water State
UPDA TE Revolving Fund Program
States with
One-Stop
Shopping
Initiatives
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Illinois
Louisiana
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
v
With more than $42 billion in assets
and continuing financial support
from USEPA, the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program is the
largest water quality funding program in
the country. However, many other federal
and state assistance programs have similar
water quality or public health objectives.
For this reason, some state CWSRF
programs have worked with federal and
state financial assistance programs to
develop "one-stop shopping" initiatives
that provide one point of contact for water
quality improvement projects.
CWSRF programs have developed many
variations of the one-stop shopping
concept. Some states have developed
internet sites that help potential applicants
identify funding for which they are
eligible. Other states have developed
funding committees that help applicants
identify which funding sources are most
applicable to their needs. Some states
have developed application materials and
environmental review documents that can
be used for many federal and state
assistance programs. Finally, the most
integrated example of a one-stop
shopping program uses a single
application process for multiple programs.
One-stop shopping initiatives provide
many benefits:
Joint funding packages can provide
borrowers with greater amounts of
funding, helping borrowers afford
appropriate water quality solutions
Coordinated funding initiatives can
help CWSRF programs support more
projects and use more of their
available loan funds
One-stop shopping programs ensure
that assistance programs support
projects that address a state's highest
priority water quality problems and
help eliminate competition with other
programs
Applicants find a one-stop shopping
funding process to be easier and more
convenient. Projects are able to
navigate the process quickly and
move forward with project
implementation
Both the financial assistance
programs and the applicants in one-
stop shopping initiatives reduce
administrative costs because water
quality projects are directed to the
most appropriate funding sources
This document highlights one-stop
shopping initiatives in Washington,
Arizona, and Montana. Washington's
single application method is highly
efficient for applicants and funding
programs, but the joint application only
serves three financial assistance programs.
Arizona's funding committee method
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directs applicants to more than ten
financial assistance programs, but if a
project's most appropriate financing
solution involves funding from multiple
programs, the project has to complete
multiple applications. Montana uses a
funding committee method similar to that
used by Arizona to direct applicants to
appropriate funding programs. Montana
also developed a uniform application for
their programs, but the funding process for
each program remains separate.
Washington
The State of Washington coordinates loan
and grant funding from three water quality
programs - the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund loan program, the §319
Nonpoint Source Grants program, and the
state's Centennial Clean Water Fund loan
and grant program. Washington's
Department of Ecology manages all three
programs (www.infrafunding.wa.gov). In
state fiscal year 2002, these programs
supported $107.0 million in water quality
projects ($80.4 million, $2.3 million, and
$25.1 million, respectively.)
Washington's water quality financial
assistance programs support projects
sponsored by Indian Tribes, state agencies,
local governments, and special districts.
Loans and grants have supported many
types of projects:
Planning, design and construction
of wastewater and storm water
treatment facilities
Water reuse planning and facilities
Agricultural best management
practices
Public boat pump-out construction
Lake restoration
Stream and salmon habitat
restoration
Wetland habitat acquisition
Wellhead protection
Watershed planning
Water quality monitoring
Public information and education
Marina pump-out station
Joint funding process
Washington's Department of Ecology tries
to manage these three financial assistance
programs as one. The programs share one
funding cycle, one application form, and
one offer list. In each funding cycle, the
Department reviews all proposed projects
and places them on a priority-ordered offer
list. If a project is in the fundable portion
of the offer list, the Department identifies
the most appropriate funding source for the
project.
Washington's Department of Ecology
identifies the most appropriate funding
source(s) for each project by considering
six questions:
Does the proj ect have a revenue
stream that could repay a loan?
How do proj ect obj ectives match the
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slightly different objectives of the
three funding programs?
How much assistance is each
program offering this year?
Will the CWSRF program meet its
goal of using 20 percent of its
available resources for nonpoint
source and estuary projects?
Have legislative budget provisos
directed to the Department to award
Centennial loans and grants to specific
projects?
Do project sponsors suffer financial
hardships that would be alleviated
with partial grant support?
Projects have one year to accept funding
offers.
Restored wetland preserve
Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service
Coordinated Information on the Internet and in Environmental Review
Documentation
Washington's Infrastructure Assistance Coordination Council (IACC) is a nonprofit
organization that identifies ways of streamlining and coordinating the delivery of
infrastructure-related financial and technical assistance to communities. This Council
is composed of staff from state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, local
government associations, and universities that provide assistance to local governments
in Washington State. Two of the lACC's greatest successes have been the development
of a web-based directory of assistance programs (www.infrafunding.wa.gov) and a
standardized approach to environmental documentation for water and sewer
infrastructure.
The web-based directory of assistance programs allows potential assistance recipients
to identify assistance programs for which they may be eligible. The directory sorts
assistance programs by type of borrower, type of water quality project, type of
assistance, and match requirements.
The standardized approach to environmental documentation for water and sewer
infrastructure adopted the most encompassing requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act, the State Environmental Policy Act, and the State
Environmental Review Process. As a result of this coordination, communities are not
required to complete multiple environmental review processes.
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Integration of the funding programs
Washington developed a joint application
for the CWSRF loan program and the
Centennial Fund loan and grant program as
a pilot project in 1995. This joint
application process received positive
feedback from applicants, and the §319
Nonpoint Source Grants Program was added
to the joint application in 1997. The
funding programs required similar
information and used similar evaluation
methodsthe joint application meets the
needs of all three programs. Washington
further streamlined the programs by
combining program guidelines.
Arizona
Arizona's Rural Water Infrastructure
Committee (RWIC) is an informal
partnership that works to improve the
wastewater and drinking water
infrastructure in Arizona. This committee
A RWIC Success Story
The experience of Fredonia, Arizona provides a typical example of the packaging of
multiple funding sources through the efforts of the RWIC. Fredonia was one of the
first RWIC participants to participate in the project meeting process. Town officials
came to RWIC meetings several times over a period of 2 to 3 years to seek technical
and funding consultation and advice. The RWIC partners worked together and with
the town to develop a funding plan.
Fredonia is a small community located on the north rim of the Grand Canyon; it has a
population of just over 1100 people. When the town first came to the RWIC, it had
no sewer system and many of the septic tanks in the community were failing. In
addition, the local economy was declining because its main logging industry had
closed. This situation was compounded by a low median household income.
The community decided to build a new sewer system with sewerage lagoons and also
came up with a plan to attract industry. Town leaders pursued an aggressive
campaign to fund the $3.9 million project.
With the assistance of the RWIC, the following funding was procured for the sewer
system and economic development:
US Dept. of Commerce Economic Development Administration Grant
(Industrial Park development) $1,035,900
US Dept. of Agriculture RD Grant $ 1,000,000
US Dept. of Agriculture RD Loan $ 828,200
Local Funding $ 232,500
WIFA Hardship grant $ 150,000
WIFA CWSRF Loan $ 660.120
$3,936,720
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of federal, state, local, and private sector
organizations meets regularly to coordinate
financial and technical assistance. RWIC
partners include the following groups:
Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs
Arizona Corporation Commission
Arizona Department of Emergency
Management
Arizona Department of Environmental
Quality
Arizona Department of Commerce
Arizona Department of Water Resources
Arizona State Environmental Training and
Technology Center
Arizona Small Town Environment Program
Arizona Small Utilities Association
Arizona Water and Pollution Control
Association
Border Environment Cooperation
Commission
Greater Arizona Development Authority
Intertribal Council
North American Development Bank
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development
Wastewater treatment plant
Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service
U.S. Department of Commerce,
Economic Development Administration
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development
U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of
Reclamation
Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of
Arizona (includes Clean Water State
Revolving Fund and Drinking Water
State Revolving Fund)
The RWIC meeting process
Arizona's Rural Water Infrastructure
Committee has considered projects from
almost every rural community in the state
within its structured format. Each project
sponsor spends 75 minutes discussing its
project with the committee. The sponsor
first describes its situation and its proposed
project. The committee then offers
technical advice and recommends further
sources of technical and financial support
for the project. At the end of each meeting,
the chair of the Rural Infrastructure
Committee summarizes the discussion and
recommended "next steps" for the project.
The RWIC most often suggests that
communities constructing wastewater
treatment projects apply for funding from
the Water Infrastructure Financing
Authority of Arizona (CWSRF) or the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (Rural
Development Program). To a lesser extent,
other partners, including the Greater
Arizona Development Authority, the
Economic Development Administration,
the North American Development Bank,
the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, and the Arizona Department
of Emergency Management also support
construction projects. Technical assistance
is provided by many sources, as well. The
RWIC identifies financial assistance
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programs that are most appropriate for
each proposed project, and it offers advice
on how to develop a funding package that
coordinates multiple funding sources.
Development of the RWIC
The Rural Water Infrastructure Committee
formed in 1990 as an informal
organization of state and federal funding
programs. Committee participants
discussed how they could best meet the
infrastructure needs of rural communities,
and the funding programs implemented
many of the committee's ideas. The
committee first hosted project-oriented
meetings in 1994, and this format
blossomed in 1996 when funding
programs increased their participation in
RWIC activities. Since 1996, RWIC
meetings have assisted almost every rural
jurisdiction in Arizona and more than 200
projects.
Montana
Montana's Water, Wastewater, and Solid
Waste Action Coordinating Team
(W2ASACT) is a group of state, federal,
and nonprofit organizations that provides
financial and technical assistance to
communities and to water and sewer
districts. The following five organizations
coordinate six funding programs (including
the CWSRF) through their participation in
W2ASACT.
Montana Board of Investments
Montana Department of Commerce
Montana Department of Environmental
Quality
Montana Department of Natural Resources
and Conservation
U.S. Department of Agriculture
W2ASACT meets on a bimonthly basis to
coordinate program efforts, and
subcommittees pursue program
improvements between meetings. A series
of workshops around the state in the spring
and the fall allow W2ASACT programs to
provide face-to-face advice and assistance
to communities as they develop and finance
water, wastewater, and solid waste
infrastructure projects. These workshops
Montana W2ASACT workshop participants
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steer projects to appropriate sources of
funding and help them complete the
application process.
W2ASACT has also developed a uniform
application form, environmental
checklist, and preliminary engineering
report that is accepted by the six federal
and state funding programs. While the
application process remains separate for
each funding program, and while each
program does require some
supplementary information, the uniform
materials reduce the time, effort, and
expense that local governments incur
when they apply to multiple agencies for
financial assistance.
Development of W2ASACT and
uniform application materials
W2 AS ACT was created in 1983 as a
forum for water and wastewater
financing professionals in Montana.
This coordinating team was created in
response to new state-funded grant
programs for infrastructure financing. In
the early years of W2ASACT's existence,
this forum discussed the progress of
local infrastructure projects, especially
problem projects where local
governments were struggling.
W2ASACT has hosted workshops for
local governments since its creation in
1983, but in 1990 W2 AS ACT agencies
expanded their outreach and hosted
workshops in three or four communities
across the state.
In 1995, W2ASACT developed a
common preliminary engineering report
format that was acceptable to each of the
agencies that fund water, wastewater,
and solid waste projects in Montana.
Spurred by this success, some of the
state agencies also adopted a common
application summary form and
environmental checklist that same year. In
1997, W2ASACT members adopted a
uniform publication that contains a
common application form, environmental
checklist and preliminary engineering
report. Critical to these efforts was the
identification of the core information that
must be provided for all projects that
receive assistance from any of these
funding sources.
Contact Information
Arizona
Suzanne Price
Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance
Authority
ph: 602-230-9770x217
suzanne.price@wifa. state.az.us
www.wifa.state.az.us
Montana
John Tubbs
Montana Department of Natural Resources
and Conservation
ph: 406-444-6689
jtubbs@state.mt.us
www.dnrc.state.mt.us/cardd/wasact.htm
Washington
Brian Howard
Washington Department of Ecology
ph:306-407-6510
brh0461 @ecy. wa.gov
www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/funding
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For more information about the Clean Water Revolving Fund, or for a program representative in your State,
please contact:
Clean Water State Revolving Fund Branch
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1201 Constitution Avenue, NW (Mailcode 4204M)
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 564-0752 Fax: (202) 501-2403
Internet: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfmance/index.htm
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
Office of Water January 2003 EPA 832-F-03-001
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