Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks for Colonias and Tribal Lands

This program helps get safe reliable drinking water and waste disposal services to low-income rural areas whose residents are experiencing a significant health risk due to the fact that a significant proportion of the community's residents do not have access to, or are not served by, adequate affordable water supply systems or waste disposal facilities.

Local level governments, Indian Tribes on Federal and State reservations, and other federally recognized Indian Tribes, U.S. Territories and possessions, and nonprofit associations can receive assistance under this program. Except for rural areas known as "Colonia" along the U.S./Mexico border, the projects funded under this program must primarily provide water and/or waste disposal services to residents of a county where the per capita income of the residents is not more than 70 percent of the most recent national average per capita income, as determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and unemployment rate of the residents is not less than 125 percent of the most recent national average unemployment rate, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also the residents must face significant health risks due to not having access to an affordable community water and/or waste disposal system.

Applications will be reviewed and scored for funding priority by the RD State Office. Applications must compete on a national basis for available funds.

Dependent upon funding and whether the application is considered complete. A determination on a complete application will be made within 15 federal working days. If complete, an eligibility and funding determination will be issued within 45 working days.