Financial Assistance
Ohio EPA's Division of Drinking and Ground Waters, in cooperation with the Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance (DEFA) has several programs that offer below market rate loans to eligible public water systems to fund improvements to eliminate public health threats and ensure compliance with federal and state drinking water laws and regulations.
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Get information about Drinking Water Stimulus Projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Drinking Water Assistance Fund (DWAF)
The Drinking Water Assistance Fund (DWAF) includes the Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA), wellhead protection program, and technical assistance through the Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP).
General Information
Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA)
The WSRLA provides financial assistance for the planning, design, and construction of improvements to community water systems and non-profit, non-community public water systems. Below-market interest rates are offered for public health or compliance related infrastructure improvements to public water systems. The pre-application deadline is March 15 or October 15.
Disadvantaged Community Loan Program
The DCLP is a sub-section of the WSRLA program. The DCLP provides funding assistance to drinking water systems in need of design, planning and construction improvements. To qualify for assistance, the system must have documented public health issues and have an annual water and sewer rate (cost per household) which is disproportionately high compared to the median household income of the service area. The application deadline is March 15.
Drinking Water Emergency Loan Fund (DWELF)
The DWELF provides emergency loans to public water systems for remediation of a threat of contamination, which means anything that prevents a public water system from supplying adequate quantities of safe, potable water to existing users. Any Ohio public water system with a valid license to operate (LTO) is eligible to apply. A maximum loan of $25,000 may be provided to a single system.
Miscellaneous Resources