October 27, 2009

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) process has been streamlined. The streamlined process including flowcharts has been incorporated in the state and federal special conditions packages on the DBE webpage.

March 30, 2009

Web site Rollout and Posting of Intended Use Plans.

For the ARRA, all water systems will have an opportunity to provide supplemental information for any project in the ARRA IUP until June 3, 2009. Applicants that met the Feb. 27 application deadline and are ready-to-proceed by March 30 will be eligible for the first round of funding conducted in mid-April. The first round will distribute between 50 to 65 percent of the funds. 

The remaining 35 to50 percent of funds will be held for a second round of allocation.  Any project in the IUP that has submitted a complete application and is ready-to-proceed by June 3 will be eligible for any remaining ARRA funding to be distributed through a second round.  Applications for projects not already included in the IUP will not be accepted.

North Carolina will apply a cap of $3 million per applicant.  This cap is not subject to normal bypassing procedures that would allow subsequent cycles through the funding list.  This cap may be lifted if necessary in order to award funds within federal time lines.

March 27, 2009

Terms

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund monies from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will be awarded as loans, but the loans will be structured so that half of the principal will be “forgiven” and the other half of the loan will be repaid at  zero percent interest with up to a 20-year payback. The principle forgiveness means that half of each loan will not need to be repaid. The other half of the money will need to be repaid at a zero percent interest rate. If a project's actual costs are lower cost than originally projected or the scope of the project is reduced, the same 50-50 split will be maintained.

March 20, 2009

Categorical Exclusion Factsheet Addendum

If a project qualifies for multiple blanket comments per the PWS categorical exclusion factsheet, then you may combine blanket comments on one letter to PWSS per project.

Note - If your project qualifies for blanket comment for an agency, you do not have to send a letter to that agency or confirm the blanket.

March 13, 2009

Categorical exclusion updates for Public Water Supply projects are available in a Word document.

• A brief Preliminary Engineering Report including project description, alternatives analysis, cost estimate and any relationship of this project to water and energy efficiency or drought preparedness.

• Documentation of completed Environmental Review with a CE or FONSI;
• The date and serial number for the approval of plans and specifications and the Authorization to Construct;
• Governing Board Resolution/Certification; and
• LGC 108C (note – this is needed earlier than usual to meet accelerated deadlines).

11 February 2009

Second Update to Announcement on Preparations for the Economic Recovery Stimulus Bill

Click here to read the announcement from Jessica Miles.

• Project title
• Project description
• Proposed category (consolidation, compliance, supply or treatment capacity, or other) and
• Estimated project cost

19 December 2008

Announcement of Supplemental Application period for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund in Response to Expected National Economic Recovery Funding

In anticipation of additional funding being provided to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund as part of a national economic recovery funding package expected to pass congress in January, the Public Water Supply Section is announcing acceptance of supplemental applications during this loan cycle for funding of projects that are or can be ‘shovel ready’ within approximately six months of federal enactment of the ERF bill.

These projects will be added to the funding priority needs list. The purpose of the ERF bill and the procedures under development by PWSS to implement it is to move money into actual construction as quickly as possible. The following information describes deadlines and procedures expected to be followed; although, final details will need to be resolved after the conditions in the bill are known.

The interest rate for projects funded with money from the stimulus bill is expected to be 0.0% and a term of up to 20 years as set by the Local Government Commission. The deadline for supplemental applications will be Feb. 20, 2009, or 30 days after bill passage, whichever is later. In order to expedite moving money into projects, it is expected that project review will only consider project/applicant eligibility, the public health and compliance category, the date of application submittal and readiness to proceed. Bonus points are not expected to be evaluated.

Supplemental applications will be ranked by first by priority category, then application receipt date, and then by readiness to proceed date.  All supplemental applications received by Feb. 20 will be ranked below applications that were received by the original Sept. 30, 2008 deadline. On the day of the state award from EPA, PWSS will commit funding in ranked priority order to each project that is ready to proceed based on completed and approved design and environmental review. All 0.0% ERF bill money will be awarded first, and then funding through the historical DWSRF process at standard interest rates will be offered to remaining projects.  

Additional information will be available on the Public Water Supply Web site at under Loans and Grants as soon as it is available.

DWSRF

State Emergency Loan and State Low-Interest (revolving) Loan

1. Reimbursement request form with original signature.  You can download the form at the following link:  http://www.nccgl.net/fap/reimbursements/index.html
2. Contractor’s monthly pay estimates (Application for Payment) for construction and matching Sales Tax Certificates, 
3. Invoices or other supporting documents for work and purchases completed (applicable for example to engineering, administrative or equipment),
4. Documentation of cost for Force Account work,
5. For land acquisition and/or relocation, the following:
   a.       Statement of Just Compensation for land acquisition
   b.       copy of offer to purchase

6.       Any additional supporting documentation.

1. The Local Government Commission (LGC) cannot create the debt instrument until the Applicant has executed the Offer and Acceptance (Part A and B) and PWSS has approved the execution of contract documents.  DWQ cannot process loan payments until the applicant has delivered the executed debt instrument to LGC. 
2. DWQ cannot process payment requests for items until PWSS has approved them for funding:
   a.       DWQ will approve no payment for invoices above the approved budget amounts without a revised Part B or change order.
   b.       DWQ cannot pay design costs until PWSS approves the Design Contract.
   c.       DWQ cannot pay for engineering services for the project until PWSS approves the A/E agreement. 
   d.       PWQ will approve no payment for quantities in excess of the bid estimate amounts (for unit price contracts) without prior
   PWSS approval of the change order.
   e.       All Force Account work needs prior PWSS review and approval.
3. DWQ will pay no more than 90% of amount funded until all sources of sales tax have been submitted.
4. The Applicant must submit closing costs to DWQ before submitting second request for payment, and no more than 10 calendar days after receipt of proceeds from first request for reimbursement.
5. The Applicant must submit a capital project ordinance for the project before submitting second request for payment.

To encourage rates that promote water conservation, Public Water Supply (PWS) awards priority points for "incentive rate structure" under 15A NCAC 1N .0606(2)(c), 1L .0801(d), and 1J .0402(d).

Traditionally, for most systems, the marginal rate on water has decreased as the customer used more water. However, most systems now have flat or increasing block rates. 

As of January 1, 2003, only INCREASING block rates will earn priority points for "incentive rate structure] under 15A NCAC 1N .0606(2)(c), 1L .0801(d), and 1J .0402(d).

GRANT / LOAN REVIEW PERIOD DEADLINE MARCH 31, 2003

Public Water Supply (PWS) will accept applications for the Grant and Loan program under 1J rules.The deadline for applications will be March 31, 2003. 

PWS expects approximately $2M to be available in High Unit Cost Grants.

PWS expects approximately $6M to be available as low interest state-financed loans.This revolving loan program is distinct from the "Drinking Water State Revolving Fund " (DWSRF) Loan Program.This revolving loan program is subject only to state rules and is NOT subject to Federal environmental (NEPA) or DBE review.

MARCH 3, 2002
The Attorney General's Office has advised that Senate Bill 914 applies to the construction of water and sewer infrastructure on both the state and local level.