Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants (10.763)

Program

10.763 Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Agriculture
Office: Rural Development

Authorization

Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, Section 306A; Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, Title XXIII, Public Law 101-624.

Program Number

10.763

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

Through the Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant Program, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is authorized to help rural residents who have experienced a significant decline in quantity or quality of water to obtain adequate quantities of water that meet the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Grant funds may be used to extend waterlines on existing systems; to construct new water lines; to repair existing systems; to perform significant maintenance on existing systems; to construct new wells, reservoirs, transmission lines, treatment plants, storage tanks, etc.; to replace equipment; to provide connection and/or tap fees; to pay costs incurred within six months of the date an application was filed with USDA to correct an emergency situation that would have been eligible for funding under this program; to provide funds for any other appropriate related purposes, such as, legal fees; engineering fees; recording costs; environmental impact analyses; archaeological surveys; possible salvage or other mitigation measures; planning, establishing, or acquiring rights associated with developing sources of treating, storing, or distributing water; and to assist rural water systems in complying with the requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act, when failure to comply is directly related to a recent decline in quality of potable water. Grants provided under this program shall not be used to assist a rural area or community with a population in excess of 10,000; to assist a rural area that has a median household income in excess of the statewide nonmetropolitan median household income according to the most recent decennial census of the U.S.; to finance facilities which are not modest in size, design, and cost; to pay loan or grant finder's fees; to pay any annual recurring costs considered to be operational expenses; to pay rental for the use of equipment or machinery owned by the rural community; to purchase existing systems; to refinance existing indebtedness; and to make reimbursement for projects developed with other grant funds. Grants made to alleviate a significant decline in quantity or quality of water available from the water supplies in rural areas that occurred within two years of filing an application with USDA cannot exceed $500,000. Grants for repairs, partial replacement, or significant maintenance on an established system cannot exceed $150,000.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Rural Development Utilities Programs may make grants to public bodies, private nonprofit corporations, and political subdivisions of a State, as well as Indian tribes.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Public bodies, private nonprofit corporations, and political subdivisions of a State, as well as Indian tribes.

Credentials/Documentation

Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments and OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit organizations. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact assessment is required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Rural Development (RD) State Director will administer the program on the local level. This program is subject to the provisions of 7 CFR Parts 3015 and 3016. Application Form SF-424 will be filed with the appropriate RD District office.

Award Procedure

Applications received will be reviewed and scored for funding priority by the RD State office. The RD State Director will request funds from the National office. Projects must compete on a national basis for available funds.

Deadlines

Nov 01, 2009: All funding requests will be reviewed by the National office after November 1 of each year and continue until June 30 of each year. All funding requests will be reviewed by the National office after November 1 of each year and continue until June 30 of each year.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 30 to 60 days. Within 60 days of receipt of complete application.

Appeals

From 30 to 60 days. If an application is rejected, the reasons for rejection are fully stated. The applicant may request a review of this decision at the higher management level of RUS.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Not applicable. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Advances and reimbursements will dibursed over the the term of the grant on request of the grantee.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

The grantee shall maintain adequate records and accounts to assure that grant funds are used for authorized purposes. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

The grantee shall maintain adequate records and accounts to assure that grant funds are used for authorized purposes.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In fiscal year 2008, 24 grants were awarded, and in fiscal year 2009, 15 grants were made. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

12-0400-0-1-452.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $6,832,100; FY 09 est $4,539,600; FY 10 est $4,539,600

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$90,000 to $500,000. Average: $302,640.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

7 CFR Part 1778.

Related Programs

10.760 Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities; 10.766 Community Facilities Loans and Grants

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Consult your local telephone directory under United States Government, Department of Agriculture for Rural Development District Office number. If no listing, contact appropriate Rural Development State office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.

Headquarters Office

Water and Environmental Programs Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service, Washington, District of Columbia 20250 Phone: (202) 690-2670

Web Site Address

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: Rural communities can use these funds to correct drinking water problems that have been created by a significant decline in quantity or quality of their water supply. The communities use the funds for new systems, waterline extensions, construction of water sources and treatment facilities, storage tanks, and repairs or renovation of existing systems. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The proposed projects designed to serve a rural area with a population of 5,000 or less that has a median household income of not more than 70 percent of the statewide nonmetropolitan household income and had a significant decline in quantity of water available from private individually owned wells will be given priority. Preference also will be given to proposed projects that will assist an established water system or remedy an acute shortage of quality water. The Rural Development State Director will rate applications on a point system and points received will be considered in selecting projects for funding.