(Drinking Water)
The Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund (DWRLF) provides financial assistance for projects that provide safe drinking water and protect the quality of Maryland's drinking water supply. The federal Safe Drinking Water Act requires that all community water systems demonstrate the technical, managerial, and financial capacity to maintain their system prior to receiving a DWRLF loan. The Maryland Water Quality Financing Administration (MWQFA) can provide financial advisory services that assist borrowers in determining water rate structures and the impacts of a proposed loan on borrower financial condition and affordability.
DWRLF assistance is available to eligible public and private community water systems for the following:
· Water Treatment Plant Construction and Upgrade of Existing Water Treatment Facilities
· Development, Coordination, and Implementation of Source Water Protection Plans
· Raw Water Intake and Conveyance Infrastructure and Finished Water Storage Facilities
· Water Distribution System Rehabilitation including Lead Service Line Replacement
· Consolidation of Water Systems to enhance Operational, Managerial and Financial Capacity
· Planning, Design and/or Construction phases of above listed eligible Drinking Water Projects
https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/WQFA/Pages/drinking_water_fund.aspx
(Stormwater Funding)
There are a number of state funding sources available to help with stormwater quantity and quality issues in areas of mature growth, including:
· Comprehensive Flood Management Grant Program - flood mitigation projects for local governments (up to 75% of project costs)
· Water Quality Revolving Loan Fund - low interest rate loan funding and loan principal forgiveness (if eligible) (up to 100% of project costs). Applicants with stormwater projects may (and are strongly encouraged to) submit multiple projects that will start construction within 12-18 months of notification of funding as a "program" of projects using a single funding application (as opposed to submitting individual projects in separate applications).
· Bay Restoration Fund - grant funding for stormwater projects for local governments, including stormwater projects relating to climate resiliency and flood control (up to 50% of project costs)
· Clean Water Commerce Program - grant funding to purchase environmental outcomes (nitrogen reductions) to help the State meet the Bay TMDL. At least 20% of the funding annually ($4M) is required to be used to procure environmental outcomes from projects, including stormwater management and green infrastructure projects, established in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms and risks. 35% of the funding annually ($7M) is open to any type of project, including stormwater management projects. Payments are made annually over 10-20 years for verified nutrient reductions, not for project construction costs.
· Tree Solutions Now Act, particularly the new Urban Trees Program - establishes a statewide goal of planting 5 million new trees, with 500,000 in underserved areas; grant funding $10M per year for tree planting initiatives in underserved areas; administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Funding announcement coming in 2022.