Provide funds to the recipient for IT to provide subawards to local municipalities for costs associated with the planning, design, and construction of eligible water quality improvement and protection…

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) received a $421,250 Formula Grant award from the Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 under the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant Program (CFDA 66.447) to provide subawards to municipalities for water quality improvement and protection projects from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026. The grant funds will support planning, design, and construction of projects to reduce combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows entering Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River Basin through stormwater management. At least 25% of funds will carry out projects in rural communities (under 10,000 people) or financially distressed communities, with at least 15% directed specifically to combined sewer overflow and sanitary sewer overflow removal projects in rural areas. Key subawards will fund Rutland City's long-term control plan to meet criteria for disadvantaged communities and CSO/SSO implementation per the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan. The projects aim to improve water quality and public health through reduced excess nutrients and bacteria in local water systems.

Description

The purpose of this agreement is to provide funds to the recipient for IT to provide subawards to local municipalities for costs associated with the planning, design, and construction of eligible water quality improvement and protection projects. The expected outcomes are to protect public health and improve water quality by reducing sewer overflows through the management of stormwater. Activities:vermont DEC will use the granted funds to make sub grants to eligible municipal entities for eligible projects. One of these projects will be for planning and design of a number of projects on the rutland long term control plan that were submitted for loans or american rescue plan act grants under the FFY 2022 project priority list application process. This project was selected due to meeting the criteria of being a disadvantaged community as defined by the state, implementing a long-term control plan for combined sewer overflows or sanity sewer overflows, and being part of the clean water state revolving fund intended use plan.subrecipient:sub-awards will be made to municipalities to remove combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows from flowing into the CT river basin and lake champlain. Specific projects include rutland city's long term control plan. Rutland was chosen due to meeting the criteria of being a disadvantaged community as defined by the state, implementing a long-term control plan for csos or ssos, and being part of the cwsrf intended use plan. The state has prioritized at least 25 percent of a state's federal grant to carry out projects in rural communities (POP. 10,000 or less) or financially distressed communities. Of this 25 percent set aside for these communities, at least 60 percent of this set aside (or 15% of the federal grant) must go to carry out combined sewer overflow and sanitary sewer overflow removal projects in rural communities sub-awards will be made to municipalities, which will then hire, general contractors to perform the construction. The city and state will provide oversight and will report documentation to the EPA to ensure compliance. Outcomes:anticipated deliverables: projects will follow cwsrf requirements and will report compliance, certifications, and all other applicable equivalency requirements. Sub grantees will comply with all subrecipient monitoring requirements, including annual reports. Expected outcome: this infrastructure project will improve the water quality of lake champlain or connecticut river basin by removing combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows, reducing excess nutrients and bacteria entering the systems. The beneficiaries will be all those who live and use the lake champlain or CT river basin.