Water Pollution Control State, Interstate, and Tribal Program Support

 

To assist States (including territories, the District of Columbia, and Indian Tribes qualified under CWA Section 518(e)), and interstate agencies in establishing and maintaining adequate measures for prevention and control of surface and ground water pollution from both point and nonpoint sources. Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2019: States and Tribes will continue to focus on fulfilling their basic responsibilities under the CWA Section 106 funded programs. State priority efforts will include: (1) implementing monitoring strategies and the statistically-valid surveys to determine water quality status and trends; (2) fostering a watershed approach, including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and watershed plans designed to meet water quality standards; and (3) implementing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting programs. States and Tribes will work toward adoption of nutrient criteria for fresh water for water quality standards. States NPDES Programs will continue to: (1) ensure the integrity of the program; (2) achieve and measure environmental results; and (3) incorporate efficiencies in permitting program operations. States will also conduct source water protection actions to protect both ground water and surface waters used for drinking water. Tribes will continue to conduct watershed assessments and will maintain and improve their capacity to implement water quality programs through monitoring, assessments, planning, data management and standards development. States with Major Disaster Designations for Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Typhoon Yutu and 2018 wildfires will be addressing impacts with supplemental funding. States and Tribes eligible for WIIN Act funding will continue monitoring the surface water and sediment quality of the Animas and San Juan rivers. Funding Priority - Fiscal year 2020: States and Tribes will continue to focus on fulfilling their basic responsibilities under the CWA Section 106 funded programs. State priority efforts will include: (1) implementing monitoring strategies and the statistically-valid surveys to determine water quality status and trends; (2) fostering a watershed approach, including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and watershed plans designed to meet water quality standards; (3) implementing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting programs; and 4) States and Tribes will continue adopting updated water quality standards that support designated uses and completing triennial reviews on time. States NPDES Programs will continue to: (1) ensure the integrity of the program; (2) achieve and measure environmental results; and (3) incorporate efficiencies in permitting program operations. States will also conduct source water protection actions to protect both ground water and surface waters used for drinking water. Tribes will continue to conduct watershed assessments and will maintain and improve their capacity to implement water quality programs through monitoring, assessments, planning, data management and standards development. States and Tribes eligible for WIIN Act funding will continue monitoring the surface water and sediment quality of the Animas and San Juan rivers.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
66.419
Federal Agency/Office
Environmental Protection Agency
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
A - Formula Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2016 In each fiscal year, grants are awarded to conduct Water Pollution Control programs by the 50 States, 6 Territories, the District of Columbia, 6 Interstate Commissions, and Indian Tribes qualifying under CWA Section 518(e). FY 16 funds will be used to continue to support State and Tribes' efforts to fulfill their basic responsibilities under the CWA and identify program activities that best support attaining targeted environmental improvements. States and tribes continued working on: implementing monitoring strategies and the development of statistically-valid surveys to determine water quality status and trends; fostering a watershed approach including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and the development of watershed plans designed to meeting water quality standards; and the implementation of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and storm water permitting programs. At a minimum, Regional watershed based strategies give priority to: 1) fostering the development of watershed plans under State nonpoint source programs; 2) assuring that high priority permits are current; 3) tracking permitting for environmental results program integrity follow-up actions; 4) developing TMDLs for impaired waters; and 5) development of numeric criteria for nutrients. In Fiscal Year 2016, 5 grants for approximately $26 million were awarded. Projects funded included new and expanded wastewater treatment plants, infiltration/inflow correction, stormwater projects, new collector sewers, nutrient removal, new and rehabilitated sewer lines, and green infrastructure.
Fiscal Year 2017 In each fiscal year, grants are awarded to conduct Water Pollution Control programs by the 50 States, 6 Territories, the District of Columbia, 6 Interstate Commissions, and Indian Tribes qualifying under CWA Section 518(e). Funds will be used to continue to support State and Tribes' efforts to fulfill their basic responsibilities under the CWA and identify program activities that best support attaining targeted environmental improvements. States and tribes continued working on: implementing monitoring strategies and the development of statistically-valid surveys to determine water quality status and trends; fostering a watershed approach including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and the development of watershed plans designed to meeting water quality standards; and the implementation of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and storm water permitting programs. At a minimum, Regional watershed basedstrategies give priority to: 1) fostering the development of watershed plans under State nonpoint source programs; 2) assuring that high priority permits are current; 3) tracking permitting for environmental results program integrity follow-up actions; 4) developing TMDLs for impaired waters; and 5) development of numeric criteria for nutrients.
Fiscal Year 2018 In each fiscal year, grants are awarded to conduct Water Pollution Control programs by the 50 States, 5 Territories, the District of Columbia, 6 Interstate Commissions, and Indian Tribes qualifying under CWA Section 518(e). Funds will be used to continue to support State and Tribes' efforts to fulfill their basic responsibilities under the CWA and identify program activities that best support attaining targeted environmental improvements. States and tribes continued working on: implementing monitoring strategies and the development of statistically-valid surveys to determine water quality status and trends; fostering a watershed approach including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and the development of watershed plans designed to meeting water quality standards; and the implementation of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and storm water permitting programs. At a minimum, Regional watershed based strategies give priority to: 1) fostering the development of watershed plans under State nonpoint source programs; 2) assuring that high priority permits are current; 3) tracking permitting for environmental results program integrity follow-up actions; 4) developing TMDLs for impaired waters; and 5) development of numeric criteria for nutrients.
Fiscal Year 2019 In each fiscal year, grants are awarded to conduct Water Pollution Control programs by the 50 States, 5 Territories, the District of Columbia, 6 Interstate Commissions, and Indian Tribes qualifying under CWA Section 518(e). Funds are used by States and Tribes to fulfill their basic responsibilities under the CWA to administer programs for the prevention, reduction and elimination of pollution, including enforcement. States and tribes continued working on: implementing monitoring strategies and the development of statistically-valid surveys to determine water quality status and trends; fostering a watershed approach including developing total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and watershed plans designed to meet water quality standards; and the implementation of permitting programs. At a minimum, Regional watershed based strategies give priority to: 1) Assessing surface water quality; 2) assuring that high priority permits are current; 3) tracking permitting for environmental results program integrity follow-up actions; 4) developing TMDLs for impaired waters; and 5) development of numeric criteria for nutrients.
Fiscal Year 2020 In each fiscal year, grants are awarded to conduct Water Pollution Control programs by the 50 States, 5 Territories, the District of Columbia, 6 Interstate Commissions, and Indian Tribes qualifying under CWA Section 518(e). Funds are used by States and Tribes to fulfill their basic responsibilities under the CWA to administer programs for the prevention, reduction and elimination of pollution, including enforcement. States and tribes continued working on: implementing monitoring strategies and the development of statistically-valid surveys to determine water quality status and trends; fostering a watershed approach including developing total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and watershed plans designed to meet water quality standards; and the implementation of permitting programs. At a minimum, Regional watershed based strategies give priority to: 1) Assessing surface water quality; 2) assuring that high priority permits are current; 3) tracking permitting for environmental results program integrity follow-up actions; 4) developing TMDLs for impaired waters; and 5) adopting updated water quality standards that support designated uses.
Authorization
Clean Water Act, Section 106, Public Law 95-217, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.
Clean Water Act, Section 518(e)
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible entities include States (including the District of Columbia and territories), interstate water pollution control agencies as defined in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and Indian tribes qualified under CWA Section 518(e). Requirements of the program are based on Section 106 of the Act, 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable, and 40 CFR Parts 35 and 130. For FY19 Supplemental Disaster Relief funds are available for states with FEMA Major Disaster Designations for Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Typhoon Yutu and 2018 wildfires. Eligible states include Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, California and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
Beneficiary Eligibility
States (including the District of Columbia), Territories, interstate water pollution control agencies and Indian tribes qualified under Section 518(e) of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
Credentials/Documentation
State and interstate agencies and Indian tribes qualified under Section 518(e) of the Clean Water Act must show compliance with 40 CFR 35, Subpart A and Subpart B.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. 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. Informal meetings are held as needed between regional office, State, territorial, and Indian tribe applicant agencies during work plan development. The standard application forms, as furnished by the Federal agency and required by 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable, must be used for this program. The grant agreement must adequately reflect the priorities identified in the EPA Strategic Plan and any State/EPA Agreements. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts".
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through https://www.grants.gov. Additional information on the EPA grant package can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/how-apply-grants.
Award Procedure
Applications are reviewed by the appropriate EPA Regional Office and if approved, are signed by the Regional Administrator.
Deadlines
Applications must be submitted according to dates established by the Regional Administrator. Contact the Regional Office for application deadlines. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
From 30 to 60 days. Approximately 30 days.
Appeals
Disputes will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable.
Renewals
Not applicable.
How are proposals selected?
Section 106 funds are awarded to State, territory, interstate, and Indian tribal agencies in accordance with overall water quality management needs, the requirements of programs covered by these agreements, and EPA Program guidance.
How may assistance be used?
Water pollution control grants are intended to provide continuing support for the prevention and abatement of surface and ground water pollution from point and nonpoint sources. Continuing and recurrent water quality management program activities funded include water quality planning and standards; monitoring and assessments; inspections and enforcement; permitting; training; advice and assistance to local agencies; and public information. Funds cannot be used for construction, operation, or maintenance of waste treatment plants, nor can they be used for costs financed by other Federal grants.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: Reporting requirements shall be determine at the time of award.
Auditing
Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year.
Records
Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate charges to each grant, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained for 3 years from the date of submission of the annual financial status report. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory Formula: Title Protection of the Environment Chapter 40 Part 35 Subpart 162 Public Law Clean Water Act Section 106

Matching is mandatory. 5%. Match is for tribal programs only. Requirement found at 40 CFR Part 35.585. The Regional Administrator may provide up to 95 percent of the approved work plan costs for Tribes or intertribal consortia establishing a Section 106 water pollution control program. The Regional Administrator may increase the maximum Federal share if the tribe or intertribal consortium can demonstrate in writing to the satisfaction of the Regional Administrator that fiscal circumstances within the Tribe or within each Tribe that is a member of an intertribal consortium are constrained to such an extent that fulfilling the 5 percent match requirement would impose undue hardship. This program does not have a statutory formula. However, EPA allocates funds based on formulas contained in regulations and program guidance. For State and Interstate programs the regulation that implements the formula can be found at 40 CFR 35.162. As stated in the Clean Water Act, appropriated funds are allotted among the State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Agencies on the basis of the extent of the pollution problems in the respective States. The six components in the Section 106 State allotment formula selected to reflect the extent of the water pollution control problems in the United States are: (1) surface water area; (2) ground water use; (3) water quality impairment; (4) point sources; (5) non-point sources; and (6) population of urbanized areas. The set-aside for Interstate Water Pollution Control Agencies is 2.6 percent of the total State monies appropriated under Section 106. The interstate allotment formula consists of two parts: (1) a funding floor, and (2) a variable portion. A portion of the annual Section 106 appropriation is set-aside for eligible Indian Tribes qualified under CWA Section 518(e), and an allocation formula is used to distribute these funds to the EPA Regions. The Tribal allocation formula consists of both a base portion (which is currently equal to approximately $65,000 times the total number of Tribes with Treatment in a manner similar to a State [TAS] approval for Section 106 grants in each EPA Region), plus a weighted variable portion. The variable portion is based upon the total tribal water area (50 percent), land area (25 percent), and reservation population (25 percent) in each EPA Region. Tribal work plan costs include the costs of planning, developing, establishing, improving, and maintaining a water pollution control program. For FY19, $5,000,000 in Section 106 funding for Supplemental Disaster Relief are available for states with FEMA Major Disaster Designations for Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Typhoon Yutu and 2018 wildfires. Eligible states include Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, California and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Each eligible state will receive a base grant of $200,000. The remaining funds were allocated to the states based on the potential impacts from the disasters using the land area, surface water area and population for the counties in each state that had FEMA Major Disaster designations for public assistance. In addition, the existing Section 106 formula data was factored in to represent the preexisting extent of the pollution problem in the state.

This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. Additional Information: To receive a Section 106 Water Pollution Control grant, a State or interstate agency must expend annually for recurrent Section 106 program expenditures an amount of non-federal funds at least equal to expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1971.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
One year; payments are approved quarterly and disbursed monthly. The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
Contact the appropriate EPA Regional Office. Regional contact information is available at: https://www.epa.gov/water-pollution-control-section-106-grants
Headquarters Office
Robyn Delehanty
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., (Mail Code: 4201M)
Washington, DC 20460 US
delehanty.robyn@epa.gov
Phone: 202- 564-3880
Fax: 202-501-2399
Website Address
https://www.epa.gov/water-pollution-control-section-106-grants
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0103-0-1-304
Obligations
(Formula Grants) FY 18$229,034,400.00; FY 19 est $232,159,000.00; FY 20 est $153,683,000.00; FY 17$227,150,000.00; FY 16$26,848,000.00; - Fiscal Year 2019: Includes $5,000,000 in Section 106 Supplemental Disaster Relief Funding, $3,870,000 in WIIN funding.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Range: $30,000 to $11,700,000/fiscal year; Average: $4,000,000/fiscal year.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
General Grant Regulations and Procedures, Environmental Protection Agency (2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable); Handbook of Procedures, State and Interstate Program Grants; Environmental Protection Agency, State and Local Assistance Programs, Grants for Water Quality Planning, Management and Implementation (40 CFR Part 130 and 40 CFR Part 35 Subpart A and B).
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2016 Grants are made to States, interstate agencies, and tribes qualified under CWA Section 518(e), for the administration of State and tribal programs for the prevention, reduction, and control of water pollution. Activities funded include administration of State and tribal water quality planning programs; water quality standards programs; water quality monitoring and assessments; National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permitting programs; compliance and enforcement programs, and ground water protection programs. More specifically, adoption and implementation of new comprehensive monitoring strategies, as stated in the March 2003 Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Guidance, and the development of statistically valid monitoring networks to help target activities and determine water quality status and trends; enhancement of the quality and timeliness of state/tribal water quality standards triennial reviews so that standards are based on sound science and EPA guidance; adoption of nutrient criteria for state water quality standards; effective management of the permit program through State participation on (1) developing and strengthening systems to ensure the integrity of the program; (2) achieving and measuring environmental results; and (3) incorporating efficiencies in permitting program operations; implementation of program enhancements identified in the FY 2004 comprehensive assessment of NPDES program integrity; and State storm water and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) permitting programs, wet weather issues and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). New and expanded wastewater treatment plants, infiltration/inflow correction, stormwater projects, new collector sewers, nutrient removal, new and rehabilitated sewer lines, and green infrastructure projects.
Fiscal Year 2019 Grants are made to states, interstate agencies, and tribes qualified under CWA Section 518(e), for the administration of state and tribal programs for the prevention, reduction, and control of water pollution. Activities funded include administration of state and tribal water quality planning programs; water quality standards programs; TMDL programs, water quality monitoring and assessments programs; NPDES permitting programs; compliance and enforcement programs, and ground water protection programs. More specifically, adoption and implementation of comprehensive monitoring strategies, as stated in the March 2003 Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Guidance, and the development of statistically valid monitoring networks to help target activities and determine water quality status and trends; adoption of updated standards that support designated uses; enhancement of the quality and timeliness of state/tribal water quality standards triennial reviews so that standards are based on sound science; effective management of the NPDES permit program through State efforts to (1) ensure the integrity of the program; (2) achieve and measure environmental results; and (3) incorporate efficiencies in permitting program operations. States with Major Disaster Designations for Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Typhoon Yutu and 2018 wildfires will be addressing impacts with supplemental funding. Eligible states and tribes are also conducting long-term monitoring in the San Juan River watershed.
Fiscal Year 2020 Grants are made to states, interstate agencies, and tribes qualified under CWA Section 518(e), for the administration of state and tribal programs for the prevention, reduction, and control of water pollution. Activities funded include administration of state and tribal water quality planning programs; water quality standards programs; TMDL programs, water quality monitoring and assessments programs; NPDES permitting programs; compliance and enforcement programs, and ground water protection programs. More specifically, adoption and implementation of comprehensive monitoring strategies, as stated in the March 2003 Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Guidance, and the development of statistically valid monitoring networks to help target activities and determine water quality status and trends; adoption of updated standards that support designated uses; enhancement of the quality and timeliness of state/tribal water quality standards triennial reviews so that standards are based on sound science; effective management of the NPDES permit program through State efforts to (1) ensure the integrity of the program; (2) achieve and measure environmental results; and (3) incorporate efficiencies in permitting program operations. Eligible states and tribes are also conducting long-term monitoring in the San Juan River watershed.

 


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