Drinking Water Engineering Report Grants - PUB2948

Purpose

This grant opportunity provides water systems funding for engineering costs to prepare a plan for drinking water system improvements related to compliance and the ability to provide safe drinking water. This funding is offered through a competitive, annual funding cycle. The department prioritizes applications for funding based on scoring criteria specified in the application and instructions.  

Eligible Applicants

The grant is available for municipalities, counties, utility districts, political subdivisions or instrumentalities of the state that:

1. Operate a permitted public drinking water system serving a population of less than 3,300 for an engineering report to evaluate improvements to their own system.
2. The applicant of any size, proposes to develop a plan to provide safe drinking water to a group of households that are currently using wells that produce unsafe drinking water, e.g., wells that are contaminated with a substance at concentrations that exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level.
3. Operate a permitted public drinking water system serving a population of greater than 3,300 for an engineering report to develop a plan to consolidate or regionalize a nearby system that serves a population of under 3,300.

In order to be eligible, the applicant must:

1. Complete and submit an application by Dec. 31.
2. Have no outstanding fees due to the department.
3. Not already have an engineering report for the same issues.
4. Agree to make a good faith effort to pursue recommendations contained in the approved engineering report.

Grant Description

Eligible applicants may receive an 80% grant with a 20% recipient match, not to exceed a maximum grant amount of $30,000. 

Eligible applicants that also meet the definition of a disadvantaged community may receive up to 100% of the costs for engineering report services, not to exceed a maximum grant amount of $37,500. The department defines a disadvantaged community as one that has a population of 3,300 or less, whose median household income is at or below 75% of the state average, and whose user rates are at or above 2% of the median household income.

Application Deadline and Selection Process

Applications may be accepted throughout the year; all applications that are received by Dec. 31 of the current year, will be scored and prioritized for funding in the following months.

After the department scores, ranks and commits grants to all eligible projects that apply by Dec. 31, if allocated funds remain available, additional applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Prioritization is given to projects that address the most serious problems. Factors considered in the prioritization process are Safe Drinking Water Act violations and compliance issues; problems with waterborne disease, minimum working pressure and inadequate supply; problems with inadequate wells, water loss, distribution systems, storage and treatment; regionalization interconnection and security; and technical managerial and financial capacity demonstration. A complete listing or prioritization factors and factor weighting is provided within the application.

Grant Timeframe

It is important that any communities who wish to apply for this funding opportunity submit their applications early in the project planning process. Early application and communication with the department on each project step are imperative to ensure the project meets all state and federal funding requirements. Engineering report projects that the applicant has already started are not eligible for funding through this program.

Once the grant is awarded, the recipient has 6 months for the engineering report to be completed and approved by the department. The department will hold the final 10% of the reimbursement costs until the report has been accepted by the department. The complete engineering report must be submitted to the department for review and acceptance no later than 60 days prior to the end of the budget period of the award. This guarantees adequate time for the engineer to provide a response to department comments and make any necessary revisions. No payments may be made to the recipient after the budget period has expired without an amendment to the grant.

Funding provided under this program shall only be used as reimbursement of expenses for services provided during the project’s budget period. Therefore, recipients should wait for notice from Financial Assistance Center to initiate work under this grant in order to ensure all costs incurred are reimbursable.

Cost Eligibility

Eligible costs are those that are directly incurred in the development of the engineering report.

Eligible costs are:

• Engineering services and investigations incurred during the preparation of the report.
• Within the department-approved allowable scope of the project. May include other items deemed reasonable, necessary and allocable to the project with department pre-approval.
• Incurred during the budget period of the report.
• Reasonable, and produce an engineering report that makes reasonable and cost-effective recommendations that will meet Safe Drinking Water law requirements.

Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to:

• An engineering plan or engineering services completed prior to the award.
• Preparation of the drinking water engineering report grant application.
• Costs outside the scope of the department-approved project.
• Costs incurred outside the approved project period.
• Ordinary operating expenses of the recipient including salaries and expenses of elected and appointed officials, preparation of routine financial reports and studies, and the state operating permit fees or other such permit fees necessary for the normal operation of the constructed facility.
• Preparation of applications and permits.
• Preparation of applications for future funding for work following the facility plan.
• Administrative, engineering, and legal activities associated with the establishment of special departments, agencies, commissions, regions, districts or other units of government.
• Fines and penalties.
• Force account labor (use of a grantee's own labor force) including engineering.

How to apply

The application form and instructions are available online.

Legal Authority

40 CFR Part 35 Subpart L and RSMo. 640.110