DEQ Accepting Public Comment on Draft Water and Wastewater Funding Intended Use Plans and Proposed Changes to Priority Rating Systems

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Infrastructure is accepting comments until June 30, 2023, on several draft Intended Use Plans for the State Revolving Funds and proposed changes to the Priority Rating System for the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure Program and the Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments program. The Intended Use Plans address administration of water and wastewater infrastructure funding through the State Revolving Funds, including emerging contaminant funding made available through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Division follows Intended Use Plans (IUPS) to apply for and administer the State Revolving Funds (SRF). The Division and the State Water Infrastructure Authority use Priority Rating Systems to score applications for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater projects in North Carolina.  The SRF program offers low-interest loans (with principal forgiveness) for water infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment facilities, wastewater collection systems, water distribution systems, reclaimed water facilities, energy efficiency upgrades, stormwater control measures and stream restoration projects. 

The IUPs include the Priority Rating Systems applicable to those funding programs. Changes include providing high priority to PFAS compounds included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. The same prioritization has been added to the Priority Rating System for the Community Development Block Grant – Infrastructure Program.

The Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments Program Priority Rating System is used to develop scores for evaluating stormwater applications. The proposed changes provide clearer wording for some line items.

Six IUPs or priority rating systems are available for public comment:

1. Draft IUP for the FY2023 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
2. Draft IUP for the FY2023 Clean Water State Revolving Fund
3. Draft IUP for the FY2022 and FY2023 BIL Drinking Water SRF Emerging Contaminants Funds
4. Draft IUP for the FY2022 and FY2023 BIL Clean Water SRF Emerging Contaminants Funds
5. Proposed changes to the 2023 Priority Rating System for CDBG-Infrastructure Funding
6. Proposed changes to the 2023 Priority Rating Systems for Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments Funding

Interested parties are invited to provide comments on the draft Intended Use Plans and their associated Priority Rating Systems, the proposed Priority Rating System for the CDBG-I program, and/or the proposed Priority Rating System for the Local Assistance to Stormwater Infrastructure Investments program, by June 30, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Comments can be submitted: 

• by email to dwi.publiccomments@ncdenr.gov, with the subject line: Comments on Draft IUPs or Comments on Draft Priority Rating System for CDBG-I or Comments on Draft Priority Rating System for LASII
• by mail: Cathy Akroyd, Division of Water Infrastructure, 1633 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1633

Learn more about the Division of Water Infrastructure: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure