Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks for Colonias and Tribal Lands

This program helps get safe reliable drinking water and waste disposal services to low-income rural areas whose residents are experiencing a significant health risk due to the fact that a significant proportion of the community's residents do not hav

Local level governments, Indian Tribes on Federal and State reservations, and other federally recognized Indian Tribes, U.S. Territories and possessions, and nonprofit associations can receive assistance under this program. Except for rural areas known as "Colonia" along the U.S./Mexico border, the projects funded under this program must primarily provide water and/or waste disposal services to residents of a county where the per capita income of the residents is not more than 70 percent of the most recent national average per capita income, as determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and unemployment rate of the residents is not less than 125 percent of the most recent national average unemployment rate, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also the residents must face significant health risks due to not having access to an affordable community water and/or waste disposal system.

Users of the applicant systems, which are previously described as public bodies, private nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes, and individuals.

Evidence of legal and organizational capacity, and economic feasibility.

Funds may be used for up to 100 percent of costs to: (1) construct, enlarge, extend, or otherwise improve a community water or waste system, including extending service lines to and/or connecting individual residences to a system; (2) allow applicant to make grants directly to individuals to extend service lines and/or connect residences plumbing to the applicant's system; (3) improve an individual's residence to allow use of water and/or waste disposal system; (4) pay reasonable charges and fees for connecting to system, installation of plumbing and related fixtures; (5) construction in dwelling for a bathroom; and, (6) pay costs for closing abandoned septic tanks and water wells.

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.

Applications include the criteria specified within 7 CFR 1777.

A proposed project servicing a rural area with a population not in excess of 1,500, a median household income not in excess of 50 percent of the statewide non-metropolitan median household income, with leveraged financing, and, for Colonias funding, servicing residents with access or health risk issues in a Colonia along the U.S./Mexico border will be given priority. The Rural Development State Director will rate applications on a point system and points received will be considered in selecting projects for funding.

Applications will be reviewed and scored for funding priority by the RD State Office. Applications must compete on a national basis for available funds.

Dependent upon funding and whether the application is considered complete. A determination on a complete application will be made within 15 federal working days. If complete, an eligibility and funding determination will be issued within 45 working days.

An application determined ineligible may request a review of this decision with the National Appeals Division of USDA in accordance with USDA regulations at 7 CFR 11.