FY2013 Grant Cycle 2 is now closed for Drinking Water Planning and Design Assistance applications.
Applicant's Guide - updated September 19, 2012

Grant Program Overview
The purpose of WIFA's Planning and Design Grant Program is to help prepare water and wastewater facilities for future infrastructure project construction. Typically, awards are made to facilities with limited resources that need assistance in completing the planning and/or design phase of an infrastructure project. Grant funding is provided to employ the services of an engineer or other consultant to complete these activities. Grant monies are released on a reimbursement basis as work is completed, and awards are capped at $35,000 per project. Grant funding cannot be used for project construction or purchase of materials and equipment.

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Applications
WIFA will place priority on projects that are developed and ready to begin. Description of project tasks and approximate costs must be provided in the grant application for WIFA to consider the project for award. To supply this information, applicants may need to solicit proposals from a consultant(s) before completing their application to WIFA.

Two Grant Cycles
WIFA offers two grant cycles per year, with applications available in January and July. Awards are made in April and October.

Green Projects
WIFA continues to encourage green projects, which may qualify for a waiver on the local match funding requirement. The four categories of eligible green projects are shown below, with examples for each. The determination of eligibility for the match waiver will be made by WIFA and based on the percentage of the project that qualifies as green and the documentation provided by the applicant. For more information on green projects, visit WIFA's Green Project Reserve web page.

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Eligible Applicants
Drinking Water grants are available to community water systems owned by a political subdivision (city, town, county, special district, tribal entity) or an ACC-regulated private entity. Additional eligibility criteria apply to non-community water systems; contact WIFA for more details.

Clean Water (wastewater) grants are available to wastewater facilities owned by a political subdivision (city, town, county, special district, tribal entity).

Private entities seeking a grant to form a political subdivision to facilitate future infrastructure projects may also be eligible.

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Project Examples
Below are descriptions of some of the projects that WIFA funded in Fiscal Year 2010.

Drinking Water

Parker Springs Water Company
Technical evaluation of peaking factors in water demands, cost estimates for future capital improvements to upgrade the system, investigation of location for new well and storage reservoir, concept design for looping and redundancy.

Mt. Lemmon Water District
Preliminary Engineering Report to address undersized main and service lines, water pressure and water quality problems.

Cienega Water Company
Preliminary Engineering Report for fluoride treatment.

New Saddleback Vista DWID
Design work for arsenic and uranium removal - water quality tests, site survey, environmental assessment, site plan, engineering.

Chandler Heights Citrus Irrigation District
System is soon to have an inadequate water supply and inadequate water storage capacity to meet potable water demand. Back-up well exceeds nitrate standards. Work includes study of alternate sources to connect into the system as well as additional storage.

McNeal Water Company
Site survey, engineering study, and design work for ADEQ-required storage tank and booster pump. Planning/design work for installing photovoltaic panels.

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Clean Water

Pinal County Housing Division
Design project to replace the Eleven Mile Corner Wastewater Treatment Plant that has reached the end of its life and feasibility study of changing the treatment plant's energy source to solar power.

Town of Patagonia
Energy audit and feasibility study for use of renewable energy at the wastewater treatment facility.

Alpine Sanitary District
Explore options for using constructed wetlands to improve water quality of discharge to San Francisco River.

Town of Miami
Preliminary Engineering Report for improvements to wastewater collection system.

Town of Queen Creek
Analyze available subsurface data, groundwater modeling and information to evaluate recharge capacity at the West Park Site and potential impacts on existing plume at the WAFB Superfund site.

Town of Chino Valley
Design of septic to sewer project that will allow 20 residences, a 30-unit apartment complex and the Chino Valley High School to decommission their septic tanks, allowing a higher level of treatment for the wastewater.

Contact Information
Melanie Ford, Technical Program Supervisor
mford@azwifa.gov
(602) 364-1321

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