Yipian Rivera of the State Water Resources Control Boards Division of Financial Assistance reviewed a range of programs that provide grants and low-interest loans for wastewater, drinking water and site cleanup projects. Rivera highlighted funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021) that supplements state revolving funds and supports lead-service-line replacement and emerging-contaminant responses.
Rivera said clean-water SRF and drinking-water SRF programs offer grants and loans, with priority given to small disadvantaged communities and septic-to-sewer projects for wastewater funding and to systems with failing status or consolidation projects for drinking water. She described urgent and interim drinking-water solutions (bottled water, hauled water, well repair, point-of-use devices) for small systems and domestic wells, noted technical-assistance programs to support applications and project planning, and urged sign-up for program-specific email lists.
Practical details: The State Water Board uses the FAST application tool (Financial Assistance Submittal Tool) for many programs and provides a FAST help desk (Mon
ri, 8
M2:00
M Pacific noted as program hours in the presentation). For general funding inquiries, DFA gave a contact number and encouraged use of the CFCC handbook and program-specific webpages. Rivera said staff in the division will staff virtual program booths for follow-up in breakout rooms.