The department this week began accepting applications for $11.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Community Development Block Grant Program funds. That program is a $1 billion national initiative that’s part of $13.6 billion earmarked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The state said it’s looking to award to local governments up to $500,000 for public infrastructure improvements and $100,000 for on-site improvements. Projects must be advanced enough to start construction within four months and serve primarily residential needs. The money is to be distributed following the approval of a federal amendment to the program that will be submitted this month.

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Source: bizjournals/dayton

$439 million in federal stimulus money will soon be flowing into California’s water systems. The money, in the form of grants, subsidies and low-interest loans, is expected to spur hundreds of new water infrastructure projects as well as jump-start those stalled by California’s budget disaster, state and federal officials said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday awarded $280 million to the State Water Resources Control Board’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program for wastewater treatment, pollution control and estuary management projects. The state Department of Public Health’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program received $159 million for drinking-water infrastructure improvements.

The award is one slice of the $6 billion in water system improvement funds contained in President Obama’s American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 – Washington’s effort to shore up the nation’s infrastructure while providing much-needed jobs.

The money comes with a catch – about 20 percent of it must go toward conservation, green infrastructure and energy-efficiency projects. In addition, the agencies will strongly favor “shovel-ready” projects because funds not used by February will disappear.

Top priority

Top priority will go to projects in disadvantaged communities – where the population makes 80 percent or less of the state median household income.

“This money is wonderful for those communities that don’t have the ability to pay back those loans,” said Barbara Evoy, deputy director of the State Water Resources Control Board. “The jobs they need in those areas are extra important, and we’re very happy to solve a water-quality problem as well as help in job creation.”

The size of projects vying to receive grants or loans runs the gamut – from $8,000 to install water meters in the Adams Springs Water District in Lake County to $22 million for a similar, though much larger, project in the city of Sacramento.

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Source:  San Francisco Gate