BEACON HILL BEAT
JANUARY 2006
DEP RELEASES CY 2006 DRAFT CLEAN WATER & DRINKING WATER
SRF LISTS
On December 21st, the Department of Environmental Protection’s
(DEP) Division of Municipal Services released the CY 2006
Draft Intended Use Plan (IUP) for the Clean Water and Drinking
Water State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) program. The SRF provides
20 and 30 year low interest (2%) loans to assist Massachusetts’
communities and authorities to finance drinking water and
wastewater construction projects in order to implement the
requirements of state and federal regulations. The Draft lists
rank projects in terms of public and environmental health
needs. The DEP will hold a public hearing for communities
and authorities to submit written and oral testimony on behalf
of their project. Traditionally, the number of approved projects
and funding level of the SRF Draft lists are increased before
they are finalized. Further information on the SRF program
can be found at http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/index.htm
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~ Clean Water SRF ~
The DEP identified over $1.313 billion in total needs for
Clean Water construction projects throughout MA. The draft
list proposes $337.87 million for wastewater projects including
thirty-nine New Construction Projects totaling $292.96 million,
eight Carry-Over Projects totaling $33.5 million, and twenty-eight
Planning Projects totaling $11.37 million.
Long Term and Short Term Clean Water SRF Goal Statements
The DEP’s Division of Municipal Services has put forth
both long term and short-term goal statements.
The Clean Water SRF program’s long term goals
include:
- Develop water infrastructure projects that promote and
support the Commonwealth’s Sustainable Development
agenda by concentrating on development and avoiding sprawl
into green space.
- Continued correction of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO),
which retains high environmental priority as serious sources
of water quality degradation.
- Cleanup of the Connecticut River, Boston Harbor, Salem
Sound, Buzzards Bay and Massachusetts Bay CSOs through the
development of secondary wastewater treatment facilities,
correction of related problems, and a reduction of toxic
flows.
- Develop and implement a strategy to support infrastructure
investments that support and encourage sustainable development.
- Continued implementation of the SRF to provide a perpetual
source of financing for water pollution control projects,
while minimizing the adverse fiscal impacts on the citizens
and communities of the State.
- Continued implementation of a state-wide Non-point Source
Program.
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Short Term Goals
Short term Clean Water SRF goals are best expressed by reviewing
the projects scheduled to be funded during the 2006 Calendar
Year. These include:
- Brownfield Redevelopment in Pittsfield MA, identified
as a High Priority in the 2006 solicitation by the DEP and
the Office of Commonwealth Development.
- Financing of projects that rehabilitate water infrastructure,
promoting Massachusetts’ sustainable development principles.
- Financing of projects to correct CSOs, including those
affecting the Connecticut and Merrimack River, and Lynn
and Boston Harbors and Buzzards Bay.
- Cleanup of Boston Harbor as seen by the financing of
projects to be undertaken by the MWRA.
- Implementation and upgrading of secondary treatment,
especially in coastal areas.
- Utilization of the SRF program to provide assistance
for the correction/upgrade of failed Title 5 systems through
the Collection Systems.
- Financing of highest priority projects within each watershed,
as defined in watershed management plans.
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~ Drinking Water SRF ~
For the Drinking Water Draft SRF list the DEP
identified over $622.46 million in drinking water infrastructure
needs. The Drinking Water SRF Draft list proposes $100.76
million for funding in FY 2006 including thirteen New Construction
Projects totaling $83.76 million and five Carry-Over Projects
totaling $17 million.
Long-term and Short-term Drinking Water SRF Goal Statements
The DEP’s has also put forth both long term and short-term
goal statements for the Drinking Water SRF program.
Drinking Water SRF Long term Goals:
- Support protection of public health by ensuring that
all MA communities have safe drinking water.
- Develop and effectively manage a self-sustaining program
to facilitate compliance by all public drinking water systems
with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
- Maintain the Drinking Water SRF in perpetuity.
- Promote the completion of cost-effective projects that
maximize protection of public health.
- Prevent contamination through enhancing public water
system technical, financial and managerial capabilities
as well as the proactive protection of all systems.
- Perform ongoing capacity assessments and provide related
assistance for all public water systems to ensure their
ability to meet Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and
provide safe drinking water to their customers.
- Maintain a strong source water protection program as
the first step in a multiple barrier approach to maintaining
excellent water quality. Complete Zone II delineation for
all public supply wells pumping over 100,000 gpd and perform
source water assessments for all public water sources as
required by the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996.
Increase public knowledge of, and participation in, source
protection activities.
- Annually re-examine the balance between use of set-aside
and project funds and adjust strategy as needed in subsequent
years’ applications for Drinking Water SRF funds.
- Annually evaluate the appropriateness of transferring
funds, in either direction, between the Drinking Water SRF
and the Clean Water SRF, depending upon the degree of needs
and the necessity of timely commitment of available funds.
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Drinking Water SRF Short Term Goals:
- Maintain an effective Drinking Water SRF program that
will facilitate statewide compliance with the Safe Drinking
Water Act and protect public health.
- Integrate the Commonwealth’s Sustainable Development
principles into Drinking Water SRF financing decisions.
The Department will place a project on the fundable portion
of the project priority list if implementation of the project
is necessary to remediate the most serious risk to human
health or is necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements
of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Department's decision
to elevate a project onto the priority list despite a poor
Commonwealth Capital score shall be based solely upon a
pressing public health or compliance need. DEP may require
the affected community to implement measures required to
improve its Commonwealth Capital score.
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