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State Water Board Looking to Fund Shovel Ready Water Recycling Projects
Now is the time to submit your agency’s application to the State Revolving Fund (SRF) for recycled water projects that are ready to move forward in the next one to three years. CASA, WateReuse California and the Western Recycled Water Coalition have been meeting with key SRF program staff in an effort to ensure that shovel ready recycled water projects can receive expedited funding on favorable terms in order to create new water supplies as part of drought response. The specific terms of the financing are still being worked out, but we are advocating that eligible projects receive zero percent loans with 30-year terms. We have also requested that the Water Board consider exercising flexibility where possible to make SRF a more viable option and to streamline the path to approval. The State Water Board staff expects to bring its recommendations for recycled water funding criteria and terms to the State Water Board for approval on March 18th, but encourages applicants to begin the process now.
Applications can be filed online. For the application form, instructions and additional information are available on the SRF Program Website: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/srf/srf_forms.shtml
The national survey and follow up research conducted by the recycling community indicate that there are projects sufficiently far along in development that California can realize an additional 225,000 acre feet of sustainable water supply with $1 billion in investment that can be delivered within one to three years, and thus represent drought relief for the state.
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