Rural Utility Programs

Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant (WWD Loan & Grant)

Purpose: What is the Program's Goal?
To develop and repair water, sewer, storm drainage, and solid waste systems.

Program Type: How does it work?
USDA-Rural Development makes loans (sometimes with grants) for water and waste disposal facilities.

Eligible Applicants: Who can apply?
Public bodies (e.g., cities or water districts), tribes, and nonprofits (e.g., mutual water companies).

Eligible Areas: What is rural?
Unincorporated areas and cities with populations of 10,000 or less.

Authorized Purposes: What can funds be used for?
Loans can be used for construction & equipment. Eligible projects include water, sewer, solid waste & storm drainage systems -- both new and repair projects -- for domestic & industrial (but not irrigation) users.

Typical Amount of Assistance:
$500,000 - $1 million.

Rates & Terms (rates subject to change):
Loans: 4.5% - 5.1259% fixed, 40 years. Grants.

Key to Success:
Loans must be fully secured by revenues or assessments. Grants are only available to the neediest applicants and may pay for up to 75% of the project depending on population and income.

When to Apply:
Year-round. 

Rural Development State Office:     Bonnie Carrig

                                                Bonnie.Carrig@ut.usda.gov

                                                Phone:  801-524-4326   Fax:  801-524-4406                                               

Native American Set-Aside Grant

Purpose: What is the Program's Goal?
Help especially needy communities on Reservations to pay for all or part of the cost of water & waste disposal facilities.

Program Type: How does it work?
USDA makes grants for water and waste facilities.

Eligible Applicants: Who can apply?
Federally recognized Indian Tribes.

Eligible Areas:
Federally recognized Indian Tribes.

Authorized Purposes: What can funds be used for?
Loans can be used for construction and equipment. Eligible projects include: water, sewer, solid waste, and storm drainage systems -- both new and repair projects -- for domestic and industrial (but not irrigation) users.

Typical Amount of Assistance:
$100,000 - $500,000.

Rates & Terms (rates subject to change):
Grant.

Key to Success:
The grant amount depends on the community's population and income.

When to Apply:
Year-round.

Rural Development State Office:     Bonnie Carrig

                                                Bonnie.Carrig@ut.usda.gov

                                                Phone:  801-524-4326   Fax:  801-524-4406                                               

Water & Waste Disposal Guaranteed Loan (WWD Guarantee)

Purpose: What is the Program's Goal?
Provide an incentive for commercial lending that will finance water, sewer, storm drainage, and solid waste systems.

Program Type: How does it work?
USDA-Rural Development guarantees loans made by banks.

Eligible Applicants: Who can apply?
Banks and other commercial lenders.

Eligible Areas:
Unincorporated areas and cities with a population less than 10,000.

Authorized Purposes: What can funds be used for?
Loans guaranteed can be used for construction and equipment. Eligible projects include water, sewer, solid waste and storm drainage systems -- both new and repair projects -- for domestic and industrial (but not irrigation) users.

Typical Amount of Assistance:
$500,000 - $5 million.

Rates & Terms (rates subject to change):
Negotiated between business and lender. Fixed or variable rates allowed.

Key to Success:
Lender-driven: there must be a bank willing to make the loan (USDA-Rural Development only guarantees the loan).  Non-profits (e.g., mutual water companies) are targeted.

When to Apply:
Year-round.

Contact Banks and commercial lenders or Rural Development State Office

                                                        Bonni Carrig

                                                        Bonni.Carrig@ut.usda.gov

                                                        Phone:  801-524-4326   Fax:  801-524-4406                                                       

Solid Waste Management Grant (SWMG)

Purpose: What is the Program's Goal?
To support recycling education and solid waste planning.

Program Type: How does it work?
USDA makes grants to improve solid waste handling.

Eligible Applicants: Who can apply?
Pubic bodies (e.g., counties and joint powers authorities), tribes, and non-profits.

Eligible Areas:
Unincorporated areas and cities with populations of less than 10,000.

Authorized Purposes: What can funds be used for?
The funds can be used for technical assistance, planning, and community education projects.

Typical Amount of Assistance:
$50,000

Rates & Terms (rates subject to change):
Grant.

Keys to Success:
Funding is limited, so these grants tend to go only to the neediest areas.

When to Apply:
Once-a-year. Annual competition at national level.

Contact the Rural Development State Office:  Bonni Carrig

                                                              Bonni.Carrig@ut.usda.gov

                                                              Phone:  801-524-4326   Fax:  801-524-4406                                                           

Technical Assistance & Training Grant (TAT)

Purpose: What is the Program's Goal?
Support for entities eligible for WWD loans and grants in the areas of operator training, board training, financial planning, and accessing funding.

Program Type: How does it work?
USDA makes grants to benefit small rural utilities.

Eligible Applicants: Who can apply?
Non-profit corporations who will provide such assistance to rural utilities.

Eligible Areas:
Unincorporated areas and cities with populations less than 10,000.

Authorized Purposes: What can funds be used for?
The funds can be used for technical assistance, planning, and training.

Typical Amount of Assistance:
$50,000- $1 million+

Rates & Terms (rates subject to change):
Grant.

Keys to Success:
Funding is limited, so these grants tend to go only to projects helping the neediest areas.

When to Apply:
Once-a-year. Annual competition at national level.

Contact the Rural Development State Office.  Bonni Carrig

                                                              Bonni.Carrig@ut.usda.gov

                                                              Phone:  801-524-4326   Fax:  801-524-4406                                                         

Electric Programs for Rural America

Providing reliable, affordable electricity is essential to the economic well-being and quality of life for all the nation’s rural residents. The electric program of USDA’s Rural Utility Service (RUS) provides leadership and capital to upgrade, expand, maintain, and replace America’s vast rural electric infrastructure. RUS makes direct loans and loan guarantees to electric utilities to serve customers in rural areas. Nationwide, our customers are entities comprised of non-profit cooperatives (96%); owned and operated by the consumers they serve. The remaining include municipal systems, Native American tribal utilities, and other entities. These electric systems provide service to more than 90% of the nation’s counties identified by the Economic Research Service (ERS) as having persistent poverty, out-migration, and/or other economic hardship. Inquiries should be directed to Mr. Howard Barnes, Utah Area General Field Representative. Mr. Barnes can be reached by phone at (970) 667-1605, email at howard.barnes@wdc.usda.gov or you may call our National Office at (202) 720-0848.

Distance Learning and Telemedicine

The transmission of information is vital to the economic development, education and health of rural Americans. To further this objective, the Rural Utilities Service will provide financial assistance to distance learning and telemedicine projects to improve  the access of people living in rural areas to educational, learning, training, and health care services.

Priority will be given to rural areas that have the greatest need for distance learning and telemedicine services. The agency believes that generally the need is greatest in areas that are economically challenged, costly to serve and experiencing a loss of population.

Distance learning will provide educational programs, instruction or information from  one area, whether rural or not, to students and teachers who are located in  rural areas.

Telemedicine will use telecommunications to link end users with medical  professionals  at separate sites in order to exchange health care information  in audio, video, graphic,  or other format to improve health care services to  residents of rural areas.

Rural Utilities Service Announces Funding Available for Distance Learning and

Telemedicine Projects. Please visit http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm for application package and more information.

Distance Learning & Telemedicine Loan & Grant (DL/TM)

Purpose: What is the Program's Goal?
Support the development of telemedicine & distance learning systems.

Program Type: How does it work?
USDA makes loans & grants.

Eligible Applicants: Who can apply?
Schools, libraries, nonprofit hospitals & clinics, and tribes.

Eligible Areas: What is Rural?
Unincorporated areas & <10,000 population cities.

Authorized Purposes: What can funds be used for?
The funds can be used for initial capital and hardware costs that will enhance telecommunication capabilities for either public education or medical purposes.

Typical Amount of Assistance:
$50,000 - $300,000 for grants. No limit for loans.

Rates & Terms (rates subject to change):
Fixed based on Government cost of funds; 10 years and/or Grant.

Key to Success:
May pay for 70-90% of the project cost. Grants are only made available to the neediest applications.

When to Apply:
Once-a-year. Annual competition at national level.

The Rural Development State Office.  Bonni Carrig

                                                   Bonni.Carrig@ut.usda.gov

                                                   Phone:  801-524-4326   Fax:  801-524-4406

Predevelopment Planning Grant

Purpose: What is the Program's Goal?
To pay cost associated with developing an application for a water and waste disposal project than can be funded by Rural Development.

Program Type: How does it work?
USDA makes the grants.

Eligible Applicants: Who can apply?
Service area - MHI must be below the poverty level or below 80% of the State Non-metro Household Income.  Applicants must be unable to pay the costs from their own resources.

Eligible Areas: What is Rural?
Unincorporated areas & <10,000 population cities.

Authorized Purposes: What can funds be used for?
Major cost items are the PER and Environmental Report.  Costs incurred prior to grant closing should not be considered eligible.

Typical Amount of Assistance:
$15,000 or 75& of eligible costs whichever is less.  Grants over $15,000 must be submitted to the National Office for approval.

Rates & Terms (rates subject to change):
Grant.

Key to Success:
Uses same funding priorities as for the regular loan and grant program.

Smaller communities with very low to low income rating will receive a higher priority .

When to Apply:
Before August 27, 2003.

Contact the Rural Development State Office.  Bonni Carrig

                                                              Bonni.Carrig@ut.usda.gov

                                                              Phone:  801-524-4326  

                                                              Fax:  801-524-4406                                                             

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