Please note updated deadlines for Infrastructure Project Letters of Interest (LOI). Beginning in 2025, LOI Submission Deadline: February 15 of each year.
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) provides low-cost loans to community and nonprofit non-community water systems for planning, design and construction of drinking water facility improvements. In Oregon, the DWSRF loan program is funded through the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund (SDWRLF) which is administered by Business Oregon.
See the short video by the Southwest Environmental Finance Center about the State Revolving Funds:
Eligible Projects
- New, repair or replacement of water sources, treatment, finished water reservoirs, pumping and transmission/distribution mains, including associated appurtenances, land/easement acquisition and control buildings.
- Aquifer, Storage & Recovery projects.
- Instrumentation, telemetry, water meter, AMR/AMI, backflow device and pressure reducing valve projects.
- Safety, Seismic and Security improvements.
- Projects which increase redundancy and reliability of critical assets.
- Water system restructuring and/or consolidation to resolve noncompliance or technical, managerial and financial problems.
- Planning and Design Activities in support of an eligible project, including feasibility studies, master plans, design documents, environmental documents and similar work.
- Purchasing Water Rights - Class Deviation from 40 CFR Sec. 35.3520(e)(2).
- Rehabilitation of Dams and Reservoirs - Class Deviation from 40 CFR Sec. 35.3520(e)(1) and (3).
For eligibility questions regarding class deviations, please contact Adam DeSemple, OHA SRF Program Coordinator at
adam.desemple@oha.oregon.gov, or 503-956-8287.
Projects that resolve current health and or compliance issues, or address technical, managerial or financial problems through consolidation receive priority funding and greater financial incentives.
Ineligible Projects
Per 40 Federal Register Part 35.3520 (e&f), the following projects are considered ineligible:
- Projects needed primarily for fire protection.
- Projects needed primarily to serve future population growth. Project must be sized only to accommodate a reasonable amount of population growth expected to occur over the useful life of the facility.
- Projects that have received assistance from the national set-aside for Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages under the SDWA §1452(i) (prohibited by statute).
Program Overview & Incentives
- Interest rates are based on municipal bond rates (80% of the prior quarter's 20-Bond Index) with repayment terms up to 30 years for standard loans. Interest rates as low as 1% are available depending on water rates and disadvantaged community status.
- Forgivable loan is available for all projects with additional increments for projects that resolve current health and/or compliance issues, or address technical, managerial or financial problems through consolidation may receive a percentage of the loan as principal forgiveness.
- Eligible costs to contract for project management services and/or to administer Labor Standards Compliance may be awarded principal forgiveness.
- Drinking Water Service's Circuit Rider Program provides free on-site technical services for community water systems serving populations under 10,000 and not-for-profit non-community water systems. The Circuit Rider can help water system's fill out a project letter of interest.
- Any project requesting $6 million or more requires additional review and approval from the Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC).
- Follow this link to view the
Safe Drinking Water Program Guidelines and Handbook.
- All recipients of DWSRF funds must complete an environmental review on every project in accordance with the State Environmental Review Process (SERP). Oregon follows the policies and procedures outlined in the reference manualEnvironmental Review Process Handbook. For more information about SERP, contact Debra Lambeth, Environmental Review Coordinator, at debra.g.lambeth@oha.oregon.gov or 503-936-7277.
Letter of Interest
The first step for eligible water systems to obtain DWSRF financial assistance is to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI). LOIs for infrastructure projects can be submitted at any time through Business Oregon's website, but should be submitted in consultation with the regional development officer for the area.