Winston County aims to work with local water associations and others to use federal funds to improve local infrastructure.
The Winston County Board of Supervisors held a work session February 7 to review uses of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided to the county from the US Treasury Department. The county has received around $1.7 million in the restricted use funds.
After discussing and reviewing some of the guidelines and rules placed on the funds, the supervisors noted that all the water associations in the county should apply for use of the funds similar to how they apply to regular grant funding.
Under the treasury rules, a local county government can transfer funds to other entities, including other levels or units of government or private entities. This includes special-purpose districts that perform specific functions in the community, such as fire, water, sewer, or mosquito abatement districts. Utilities can use the funds to cover water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure investments so long as projects receiving funding align with the broad Clean Water or Drinking SRF eligibilities.
The ARPA guidelines allow funds to be used for “necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.
There are 11 project categories under the Clean Water SRF and six under the Drinking Water SRF, including planning and design for capital projects and water quality planning likely to result in a capital project.
Under the Clean Water SRF, eligible projects include to construct, improve, and repair wastewater treatment plants; control non-point sources of pollution; improve resilience of infrastructure to severe weather events; create green infrastructure; manage and treat stormwater or subsurface drainage water; facilitate water reuse; and protect waterbodies from pollution.
Under the Drinking Water SRF, eligible projects include building or upgrading facilities and transmission, distribution, and storage systems; supporting the consolidation or establishment of drinking water systems; and replacing lead service lines.
Additionally, Treasury outlines several other types of water, sewer and stormwater projects that are allowed or that local decisionmakers are encouraged to consider funding with these funds:
• Lead service line replacement programs;
• Cybersecurity needs to protect water or sewer infrastructure, such as developing effective cybersecurity practices and measures at drinking water systems and publicly owned treatment works;
• Green infrastructure investments and projects that address the impacts of climate change or improve resilience to climate change, such as rain gardens, measures to conserve and reuse water or reduce the energy consumption of public water treatment facilities; and
• Projects that assist systems most in need on a per household basis and benefit the most vulnerable populations with safe drinking water that is critical to their health and, thus, their ability to work and learn in accordance with state affordability criteria and prioritization developed under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
In sum, the approach of aligning with the EPA state revolving fund programs is meant to support expedited project identification and investment so that needed relief for the people and communities most affected by the pandemic can be deployed expeditiously and have a positive impact on their health and well-being as soon as possible. At the same time, the Interim Final Rule is intended to preserve flexibility for local governments to direct funding to their own particular needs and priorities and does not preclude decisionmakers from applying their own additional project eligibility criteria.
