Funding Clean Water State Revolving Fund Projects Under
Clean Water Act Section 320 Authority
(National Estuary Program)
The EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a source of funding for water quality improvement
projects that implement Section 320 National Estuary Program (NEP) Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plans (CCMP). The CWSRF offers a broad range of eligibilities and flexible, affordable financing
options. This document will better inform the 28 NEP programs of opportunities for CWSRF collaboration and
financial assistance in the development and implementation of their CCMPs.
How the CWSRFs Work and Who May Qualify
CWSRF programs in each state and Puerto Rico operate like banks. Federal and state contributions are used to
capitalize the programs. These assets are used to make low interest loans for important water quality projects,
including projects located in and affecting estuaries. Funds are then repaid to the CWSRFs and are recycled to
fund other water quality and public health projects.
Included in a long list of eligible recipients are communities, individuals, citizens groups, non-profit
organizations, and the 28 NEPs themselves. Since the program is managed by the states, the funding of eligible
projects may vary according to the priorities of each state. Contact your state's CWSRF program for details.1
Eligible NEP Projects
Section 603(c)(3) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) states that the CWSRF can provide assistance for the
development and implementation of a CCMP under Section 320. This includes implementation of water quality
improvement projects in an NEP study area and in the larger surrounding watershed. Activities located outside
the study area, but within the "estuarine zone" or watershed as defined in CWA Section 104(n)(4) and Section
320(k), may have an impact on the water quality of the estuary and may implement the CCMP, therefore the
CWSRF can fund NEP projects located within the watershed so long as the project implements a CCMP.
Map of the Watersheds Eligible for CWSRF Funding Under Clean Water Act Section 320
Puget Sound
Lower Columbia Esti
Tillamook Be
.vCasco Bay
jl^piscataqua Region E
^Massachusetts Bay
ml- Buzzards Bay
Narragansett Bay
Long Island Sound
Peconic Bay
_New York/ New Jersey
Barnegat Bay
. Delaware Estuary
v Delaware Inland Bays
Maryland Coastal Bays
Albemarle/Pamlico So
Mobile BayV \
Barataria-Terrebonnel/VV
Galveston Bay Tampa Bay V' j
Coastal Bend Bays	i jV
Sarasota Bay'
Charlotte Harbor
Indian River Lagoon
Puerto Rico
'iscataqua Region Estuaries
Long Island Sound
San Francisco Bay
Morro Bay
"Peconic Bay
New York/New Jersey Harbor
Barnegat Bay
Delaware Estuary
Delaware Inland Bays
Maryland Coastal Bays
Santa Monica Bay
Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds
C>''
1 https://go.usa.gov/xEeME
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The eligibility criteria for Section 603(c)(3) projects are:
•	Projects must develop, amend, or implement a Section 320 CCMP.
•	Projects can be publicly or privately owned and can serve public or private purposes.
Many activities in an NEP's CCMP are eligible for CWSRF assistance. These include agricultural best
management practices, structural erosion controls, habitat restoration, riparian zone protection, stormwater
management, and septic system repair/replacement. Some projects that may not otherwise be eligible
for CWSRF assistance such as privately owned treatment works and concentrated animal feeding operations
(CAFOs) may also be eligible.1 Since the program is managed by the states, the funding of eligible projects
varies according to each state's priorities. While there is no formal requirement for CWSRF programs to
coordinate with NEP programs on Section 603(c) eligibility decisions, some states have developed
memorandums of understanding between their CWSRF program and the appropriate NEP. In many cases,
the CWSRF regularly sends potential projects to NEP staff to determine whether the project implements
their CCMP. Other states determine consistency with the CCMP as part of the CWSRF application technical
review. EPA encourages CWSRFs to work with the appropriate NEP2 to ensure that projects funded under
the Section 603(c)(3) eligibility are consistent with the CCMP.
Project Financing
CWSRFs offer a variety of financial assistance options. The
programs primarily offer loans below the market rate, saving
borrowers significant resources over the life of the loan.
Before a loan is approved, potential CWSRF borrowers must
identify a dedicated repayment source not necessarily from the
project itself. Though finding a source of repayment for estuary
projects may prove challenging, many recipients demonstrate a
high level of creativity.
Some potential repayment sources include:
•	Recreational fees (fishing licenses, entrance fees),
•	Dedicated portions of local, county, or state taxes or fees,
•	Stormwater utility fees,
•	Fees paid by developers,
•	Donations or dues made to non-profit organizations,
•	Individual or business revenues,
•	Revenue from sustainable timber harvest or other forest
products,
•	Nutrient credits, and
•	Downstream water users.
Because estuary projects may not have associated available income
streams, states use a variety of financing mechanisms to fund
these projects. One example is sponsorship lending.3 Sponsorship
lending pairs a traditional publicly owned treatment plant (POTW)
project
1	For a comprehensive list of CWSRF eligibilities, please see: https://go.usa.gov/xEetB
2	https://go.usa.gov/xEeM6
3	https://go.usa.gov/xEeMS
Financial Benefits of CWSRF Funding
CWSRF assistance options deliver significant
benefits to prospective borrowers. Incentives
may vary by state program. CWSRF loans can
provide the following benefits:
•	Coverage of up to 100 percent of project
costs;
•	Deeply discounted loans that are well below
the market rate down to zero percent;
•	Access to additional subsidies such as loan
forgiveness;
•	Deferred payments of principal and/or
interest;
•	Terms up to 30 years and extended term
financing that reduces annual interest
payments;
•	Dedicated revenues for loan repayments
that can come from any source;
•	Low-cost project financing and reliable
access to capital through the use of
programmatic and portfolio financing options;
•	Access to co-financing opportunities;
•	Credit enhancements that lower the cost
of borrowing for less than AAA green debt
obligations; and
•	Access to affordable assistance for technical
assistance, project development, and
planning.
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with a nontraditional water quality improvement project, such as green infrastructure or estuary restoration.
A municipality POTW receives a loan with a reduced interest rate as compensation for also undertaking (i.e.,
sponsoring) a nontraditional project thus allowing municipalities to address watershed priorities without
placing a repayment responsibility on estuary or nontraditional projects.1
Examples of CWSRF Funded Estuary Projects
There are several ways that the CWSRF can fund water quality improvement projects within the NEP estuary
and greater watershed. Many water quality improvement projects within an estuary may be eligible to receive
funding under several CWSRF statutory eligibilities.
The CWSRF can provide funding to:
•	Develop or revise an NEP CCMP;
•	Implement projects located within an NEP study area that implement a CCMP;
•	Implement projects located within the greater watershed of an NEP that implement a CCMP;
•	Match grants that support eligible projects for the protection or restoration of estuaries (including
Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program and Section 320 National Estuary Program grants);
and
•	Fund any estuary project that meets the criteria of one of the eleven CWSRF eligibilities in Section
603(c) of the Clean Water Act.
California
Providing Funding for the Development of a Revision of a National Estuary Program CCMP
In the last 150 years, habitat destruction has eliminated more than 90 percent of shoreline
wetlands and 40 percent of the San Francisco Bay aquatic ecosystem, leading to the need
for special protection of more than 90 species of plants and animals. Throughout the
Bay, state Water Quality Standards are exceeded for pesticides, invasive species, mercury
and other metals and toxic substances. Many miles of beaches are impaired because of
unacceptable levels of bacteria due to sewage spills and crumbling sewage infrastructure.
The San Francisco Estuary is a Section 320 estuary of national significance.
In 2015, the California State Water Resources Control Board, California's CWSRF program,
provided a loan for over $693,000 with 100% principal forgiveness to the Association of
Bay Area Governments for the Unified Bay and Delta Protection Planning and Reporting
project. In three phases the project developed reports based on established monitoring programs designed
to provide key information for decisions affecting the health of the Estuary. The first two phases of the project
produced the State of the Bay Delta Science (SBDS) report, and the first-ever State of the Estuary Report. These
reports identified areas of new understanding that can be used to refine condition and stewardship indicators.
Based on the information from these two reports, Phase 3 included the complete overhaul and update of the
San Francisco Estuary Partnership's CCMP resulting in their 2016 San Francisco Estuary Blueprint.2 The new
CCMP incorporated findings from both the SBDS Report and the State of the Estuary Report, reflecting recent
adjustments in public environmental policies and priorities for protecting the Estuary. With estuarine habitats
shrinking and water quality problems remaining, the project, and resulting updated CCMP, will help meet the
challenge of restoring and sustaining a healthy Bay-Delta Estuary.
1	For more information on CWSRF assistance and more, please see: https://go.usa.gov/xEetX
2	http://www.sfestuary.org/ccmp/
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Delaware
Lending to Privately Owned Wastewater Treatment Systems that Implement a
National Estuary Program CCMP
The Delaware CWSRF program, known as the Delaware Water Pollution Control Revolving
Fund, provides assistance to privately-owned water quality improvement projects that
implement a Section 320 CCMP. It makes funds available to private individuals, companies (profit
and non-profit) and other entities to fund privately-owned water quality improvement projects
that are within Delaware's "estuary zones," and that are consistent with the CCMPs established for
those estuaries. In Delaware, consistency with the CCMP is determined by Environmental Finance
staff as part of the application technical
review.
In 2016, for the first time in its history,
the Delaware Water Pollution Control
Revolving Loan Fund provided a direct loan
to a privately-owned wastewater treatment
system. Over $8 million in CWSRF loan funds
were awarded to Allen Harim Foods, LLC
for the Harbeson Poultry Processing Plant
in southern Delaware. The facility currently
discharges into Beaver Dam Creek, which is in
a Section 320 estuary of national significance
(the Delaware Estuary) thus opening eligibility
for CWSRF assistance to this private enterprise
for activities to implement the Partnership for
the Delaware Estuary's CCMP.
The loan was offered at 2% interest for 20
years.
As one of the largest producers of chicken
products in the world, Allen Harim's
operations are sophisticated and complex,
generating significant wastewater flows as
well as nutrient loads from nitrogen and
phosphorus. The upgrade and expansion
project funded by the CWSRF included an
upgrade to the biological nutrient removal
process to achieve nutrient removal from
effluent, and a sideline wastewater treatment
facility that will help to facilitate plans for
future water reuse at the facility.
Photos Courtesy of Delaware
Department of Natural Resources
and Environmental Control
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Florida
Using CWSRF to Provide Grant Match
The City of Cocoa Beach, Florida implemented the Miriuteman Causeway project, an
urban stormwater project that is intended to reduce nutrients discharged into the
Banana River Lagoon—a waterbody that is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, a
designated estuary of national significance under Section 320.
The Minuteman Causeway
project treats an 8.34-acre watershed using three
major Low-Impact Design best management
practices in its treatment trains. These include
native landscape bioswales/tree filters, underground
exfiltration, and pervious pavers. Sorption media
will be used to further reduce the nitrogen and
phosphorus pollution mass before entering the
groundwater. This large green infrastructure project
reduced nutrient loading for the Indian River Lagoon
and has added aesthetic value along the City's
streets, making it more attractive to new businesses.
The project is an excellent example of diverse
partners coming together to fund a project. It
includes a $1.8 million CWSRF loan at 0.315%
interest used to provide match for a Section
319 Nonpoint Source grant. Additional partners
include Brevard County, the Florida Department of
Transportation, St Johns River Water Management
District, the Department of Environmental
Protection 319 program and TMDL program, as well
as a State of Florida Legislative appropriation. The
total cost of construction for this project was $5.2
million.
Washington
Lending to Estuary Restoration Projects
Squalicum Creek in Washington State is a tributary that flows from the Cascade
foothills through the City of Bellingham and drains into Bellingham Bay in the
northern Puget Sound. Puget Sound is a Section 320 designated estuary of national significance. The Creek
historically provided approximately 32 miles of habitat for multiple salmonid species, including Chinook
and Steelhead, which are both listed under the Endangered Species Act. In the 1960s, excavation during
construction of lnterstate-5 created two large pits in the path of Squalicum Creek that filled and became
known as Bug Lake and Sunset Pond.
In 2015, a multi-phase project began to re-route Squalicum Creek around both Sunset Pond and Bug Lake
to restore natural conditions. The process reactivated remnant channels and reconnected the stream with
Photos Courtesy of Florida Department of
Environmental Protection
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its floodplain while restoring riparian buffers. The next
phases will continue the re-routing for an additional 0.5
miles around culverts and a major traffic intersection.
After completion, water quality and shade monitoring
will provide quantitative data to measure the project's
success. Throughout the Squalicum Creek project, the
City of Bellingham widely engaged the community with
mailings, signage, project web page, videos, an open
house, and planting events. The community is viewed as
an important project partner. The public helped inspire
the project concept and will be instrumental as long-
term stewards.
Therefore, providing public outreach and events allows
the community to participate in and celebrate the
projects that make a difference in their day-to-day lives.
The City of Bellingham leveraged resources from state
and federal grants and CWSRF loans that included over
$620,000 in principal forgiveness to fund this project.
Total CWSRF funding for all phases totals over $2.5
million, or over 30% of $8.2 million total project cost.
Interest rates on the CWSRF loans averaged less than 3%.
This project is an example of sustainable restoration
with benefits to water quality, habitat, and recreation.
In addition to decreased water temperatures, improved
dissolved oxygen levels, and reduced fecal coliform
concentrations, the re-routed channel and floodplain
reconnection will enhance biotic integrity with native
vegetation and sustain natural stream dynamics. The
new channel is narrower to prevent stagnation, has large
woody debris for complexity, and can accommodate 1.5-
year storm events with wetlands and forest to absorb
higher flows. In 2016, the Phase 1 and 2 projects were
named the American Public Works Association's national
habitat project of the year.
Photos Courtesy of Washington State
Department of Ecology
For more information on the CWSRF, contact:
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund Branch
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (Mailcode 4204M)
Washington, DC 20460
EPA Publication 832F19003
April 2019
https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund

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