WaterSMART: Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects (Select States) - FY 2023-2025
Agency: | U.S. Department of Interior |
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CFDA: | 15.504 |
Federal FON: | R23AS00433 |
Office: | Bureau of Reclamation Water Resources and Planning Office |
Multipart Grant: | No |
Next Due: | 04/07/2025 (Multiple) |
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Solicitation Date: | 09/06/2023 |
Match Required: | Yes |
Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
Actual Funds: | Unspecified |
Range: | $132,750,000 (Max) |
Award Range: | $132,750,000 (Max) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to support the planning, design, and construction of large-scale water recycling projects. This program is intended to help communities develop local and drought-resistant sources of water supply by turning currently unusable water sources into a new source of water supply that is less vulnerable to drought and climate change.
Applicants may request funding for one or more of the following stages of project development:
- Planning: planning activities that support the development of a feasibility-level design and cost estimate for the project, including:
- Preparation of appraisal and feasibility-level cost estimates
- Site-specific investigations to gather design data
- Pre-final design activities that contribute toward a feasibility-level design and cost estimate
- Collection of data and preparation of documentation for environmental compliance reviews
- 30 percent design: design activities required to reach a 30 percent final design, including value engineering activities and the preparation of a value engineering accountability report
- 100 percent design: design activities required to reach 100 percent final design, including value engineering activities
- Construction: all phases of construction
Under each project stage, the collection of data and preparation of documentation in support of environmental compliance reviews are also eligible project activities.
Additional consideration will be given to projects that address presidential and U.S. Department of the Interior priorities, as detailed on pages 32-34 of the NOFA file.
Eligible costs include personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual costs, construction, other direct costs, and indirect costs.
Eligibility is limited to applicants located in the western United States, which, for the purposes of this program, includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
An optional webinar is scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.
Program Office Notes:
The program officer stated that award announcements are expected to be made in February 2024 for the first application submittal period.
Last Updated: November 20, 2024
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are:
- States
- Indian tribes
- Municipalities
- Irrigation districts
- Water districts
- Wastewater districts
- State, regional, or other organizations with water or power delivery authority
- State, regional, or local authorities of which the members include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority
- Agencies established under state law for the joint exercise of powers
- A combination of the eligible entities listed above
Applicants must be located in the western United States, which, for the purposes of this program, includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Projects that address presidential and U.S. Department of the Interior priorities, as detailed on pages 32-34 of the NOFA file, will be awarded additional points during the application evaluation process.
All applicants must conduct a feasibility study for the proposed project and submit the feasibility study to the funding agency within 60 days of the applicable application deadline.
In addition, applicants that are requesting funding for 30 percent design, 100 percent design, and construction stages of the project will be contacted by the funding agency within 60 days of the applicable application deadline to request copies of information required for the design and cost estimating review process, as detailed on pages 2-3 of the NOFA file.
Applicants may submit multiple applications, provided that the project scope for each application is not duplicative. In general, applicants applying for multiple project components that are interrelated or closely related should combine these components in one application. Applicants applying for multiple projects that are only loosely related should submit a separate application for each project.
The following entities are not eligible to apply:
- Federal governmental entities
- Foreign entities
- Institutes of higher education
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentConsortia
Native American Tribe
State Government
Application Notes:
Prior to submitting an application, applicants planning to request technical assistance from the funding agency must contact Maribeth Menendez, using the information provided in the Contact section, to discuss the request.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be received by 4:00 p.m. MT on one of the following dates:
- First submittal period: November 21, 2023
- Second submittal period: March 29, 2024
- Third submittal period: September 30, 2024
The due date for the second submittal period has been extended to May 31, 2024. The due date for the third submittal period has been extended to November 26, 2024. Additional information is included in the DueDateExt file.
The due date for the third submittal period has been extended to 4:00 p.m. MT on April 7, 2025. Additional information is included in the revised NOFA file.
Applications may be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov. Alternatively, one hard copy of the application may be mailed or delivered to the appropriate address provided in the Contact section. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications online. Applicants submitting hard-copy applications via mail or delivery must contact Chandrika Nasstrom, using the information provided in the Contact section, for approval by 2:00 p.m. MT of the applicable application deadline. Applications submitted via any other method, including email and fax, will not be accepted.
Applications must include:
- SF 424
- SF 424A
- SF 424B
- SF LLL (if applicable)
- Grants.gov lobbying form (if applicable)
- Technical proposal (40 pages max)
- Budget narrative
- Environmental and cultural resources compliance
- Required permits or approvals
- Overlap or duplication of effort statement
- Conflict of interest disclosure statement
- Uniform audit reporting statement
- Letters of support
The full application is limited to 125 pages in length. Applications must be formatted on standard-sized pages with one-inch margins using at least a 12-point easily readable font. The technical proposal must be formatted on consecutively numbered pages. For hard-copy submission, applicants must be bound using only a binder clip. Hard-copy applications may not be stapled for otherwise bound. Applications formatted on oversized pages will not be accepted.
The following are required in order to submit an application:
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
- SAM (System for Award Management) registration
- SPOC (state Single Point of Contact) notification
Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam. Applicants in states participating in the SPOC program must contact the relevant SPOC listed in the SPOC file before applying.
An optional webinar for this program is scheduled as follows:
October 25, 2023
11:00 a.m. MT
Registration: teams.microsoft.com
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Water supply (35 points)
- Environment and water quality (15 points)
- Economic benefits (25 points)
- Presidential and Department of the Interior priorities (15 points)
- The funding agency’s obligations and watershed perspective (10 points)
Refer to the NOFA file, as well as the Guide folder, for additional application information.
Match Required: | Yes |
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Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
Actual Funds: | Unspecified |
Range: | $132,750,000 (Max) |
Award Range: | $132,750,000 (Max) |
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Match Notes:
Applicants must provide at least 75 percent of total project costs. Eligible types of matching contributions include cash, costs contributed by the applicant, and third-party in-kind contributions.
Matching contributions from sources outside the applicant’s organization must be secured and available to the applicant prior to award.
In general, other sources of federal funding may not be used as a match, unless authorized by federal statute.
The cost or value of third-party in-kind contributions that have been or will be relied on to satisfy a cost-sharing or matching requirement for another federal financial assistance agreement, federal procurement contract, or any other award of federal funds may not be used as a match.
Funding Notes:
Up to $132,750,000 is expected to be available to support approximately two to ten awards through this program for third and final application submittal period. There is no minimum award amount. The maximum award amount is $132,750,000 or 25 percent of the expected total project costs, whichever is less.
Eligible projects must have total project costs equal to or greater than $500 million.
In addition to providing monetary awards, the funding agency may provide technical assistance after award of the project. Applicants planning to request technical assistance must account for such costs in the budget.
The program officer stated that award announcements are expected to be made in February 2024 for the first application submittal period.
In general, awards are anticipated to be made within approximately six months after funding selections are announced. For the first application submittal period, awards are anticipated to be made on September 30, 2024.
For the third and final application submittal period, awards are anticipated to be made on March 31, 2026.
In general, the project period will last approximately two years after awards are made. For the first application submittal period, projects are anticipated to be completed by November 21, 2026. Eligible costs must be incurred after the date of the funding agency’s feasibility study review findings for the project and within three years of the applicable application deadline.
For the third application submittal period, projects are anticipated to be completed by April 7, 2028.
Pre-award costs may be allowable, as detailed on pages 34-35 of the NOFA file.
Where environmental or cultural resources compliance requires significant participation by the funding agency, the funding agency will add a line item for costs incurred by the funding agency to the project budget during development of the financial assistance agreement and cost shared accordingly, as detailed on page 25 of the NOFA file.
Funds may not be used for:
- Costs incurred prior to the date of the funding agency’s feasibility study review findings for the project
- Development of water recycling feasibility studies to meet the funding agency's directives and standards
- Water reclamation projects that are solely ocean or brackish water desalination
- Operations, maintenance, and replacement (OM&R) activities, as detailed on page 12 of the NOFA file
- Application preparation and submission costs
Contacts:
Primary Contact:
Ms. Maribeth Menendez
Program Coordinator
(303) 445-2094
mmenendez@usbr.gov
Application Submission and Award Administration Contact:
Chandrika Nasstrom
cnasstrom@usbr.gov
Mailing Address
Bureau of Reclamation
Attn: Water Resources and Planning Office
P.O. Box 25007, MS 86-63000
Denver, CO 80225
Delivery Address
Bureau of Reclamation Mail Services
Attn: Water Resources and Planning Office
Denver Federal Center
Bldg. 67, Rm. 152
6th Avenue and Kipling Street
Denver, CO 80225
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to the appropriate program contact. For questions directed to Chandrika Nasstrom, the email subject line must include "R23AS00433."
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov, or mailed or delivered to the appropriate address provided. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications online.
Files:
NOFA File: US14796_NOFA_FY2023-25.pdf (1.5 Mb)Guide File: US14796_Guide_FY2023-25.zip (513.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US14796_Budget_FY2023-25.xlsx (85.0 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US14796_Webinar_FY2023-25.pdf (132.6 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US14796_ApplicationUpdate_FY2023-25.pdf (240.7 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US14796_DueDateExt_FY2023-25.pdf (121.1 Kb)
Federal Forms:
SPOC (67.7 Kb)File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Guide folder contains additional program guidelines and detailed budget instructions for the application. The Budget file contains the required budget narrative form for the application. The Webinar file contains information regarding the optional webinar that is scheduled for this program. The ApplicationUpdate file contains an announcement regarding updated required forms for the application. The DueDateExt file contains the updated due dates for the application. The SPOC file contains information on the state Single Point of Contact program.
November 20, 2024
A revised solicitation containing an updated due date for the application, as well as updated funding information, has been released and attached as the NOFA file. The Application and Financial sections have been updated accordingly.
February 29, 2024
An announcement concerning the changing of the due dates for the application has been released and attached as the DueDateExt file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
February 12, 2024
An announcement regarding updated required forms for the application has been released and attached as the ApplicationUpdate file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
October 13, 2023
A revised solicitation for this program has been released and attached as the NOFA file. In addition, information regarding an optional webinar that is scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
September 14, 2023
The program officer provided clarification regarding the award announcement time frame for the first application submittal period. The Financial section has been updated accordingly.
Grant Keywords
DOI, WaterSMART, state government, local government, tribe, tribal government, tribal, Native American, American Indian, municipality, municipalities, irrigation district, water district, wastewater district, consortia, consortium, water, water recycling, drinking water, reclamation, water demand, water infrastructure, water quality, water resource, water supply, sanitary, sanitation, public health, plumbing, waste treatment, sewage, sewer line, sewer system, build, construction, construct, building, engineering, planning, plan, design, designing, drought, climate change, drought-resistant, feasibility-level design, cost estimate, value engineering, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, WyomingGrant Categories
Community DevelopmentDisaster Preparedness
Wastewater
Water Supply/Quality