RURAL
UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AUTHORIZATION:
Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act, Section 306C, 7 U.S.C. 1926(c),
as amended; Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990,
Title XXIII, Public Law 101-624.
Provide
water and waste disposal facilities and services to low income rural
communities whose residents face significant health risks.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
Direct Loans. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Funds
may be used for 100 percent of costs to: Construct, enlarge, extend,
or otherwise improve a community water or waste system; extend service
lines and connect individual residences to a system. Allow applicant
to make grants directly to individuals to: Extend service lines,
connect resident's plumbing to system, pay reasonable charges and
fees for connecting to system, installation of plumbing and related
fixtures, and construction in dwelling of a bathroom.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Local level governments, 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.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Public bodies, private nonprofit
corporations, cooperatives, political subdivisions of a State,
and Indian tribes.
Pre-application
Coordination: This program is eligible for coverage
under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."
An applicant should consult the office or official designated as
the single point of contact in his/her State for more information
on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for
assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. An
environmental impact assessment is required for this program.
Application
Procedure: Applicants are required to file
a application Form SF-424 with the appropriate Rural Development
(RD) Office.
Award
Procedure: Applications will be reviewed and
scored for funding priority by the RD State Office. Applications
must compete on a national basis for available funds.
Deadlines:
None.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 60 to 90
days.
Appeals:
Applicants that are determined to be not eligible may request
review of this decision at a higher management level of Rural
Utilities Service (RUS).
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Not applicable.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Not applicable.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Requests for funds are granted as needed.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations," non federal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities
that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted
in Circular No. A-133.
Records:
Required to maintain records and accounts to assure funds are
used for authorized purposes.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 12-0400-0-1-452.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $20,157,421; FY 02 est $20,099,644; and FY 03 est
$20,000,000. (Loans) FY 01 $0; FY 02 est $0; and FY 03 est $0.
(Note: Grants are included in program 10.760, Water and Waste
Disposal Systems for Rural Communities. Only grant funds for Colonies
have been appropriated for this program.)
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
FY 2001: $522,400.
For fiscal year 2001, 36 infrastructure projects and 380 individual
connections were awarded.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
7 CFR, 1777.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Consult local telephone directory
under United States Government, Department of Agriculture, for Rural
Development office number. If no listing contact appropriate Rural
Development State Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters
Office: Assistant Administrator, Water and
Environmental Programs, Rural Utilities Service, Department of
Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-3200. Telephone: (202) 690-2670.
Use the same number for FTS.
Web
Site Address: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
None.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
A proposed project servicing a rural area with a population not
in excess of 1,500, a median household income not in excess of 50
percent of the statewide no metropolitan median household income
and servicing residents of a Colonia along the U.S./Mexico border
will be given priority. The Rural Development State Director will
rate applications on a point system and points received will be
considered in selecting projects for funding. Fiscal year 2000 funding
is limited to the Colonies.
