Program Overview

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program acts like an environmental infrastructure bank by providing below-market rate loans to eligible recipients for water infrastructure projects. As money is paid back into the state's revolving loan fund, DEQ makes new loans to other recipients for high priority, water quality activities. Repayments of loan principal and interest earnings are recycled back into the program to finance new projects that allow the funds to "revolve" at the state level over time.

Loan eligibility

Public agencies are eligible to apply for loans, including tribal nations, cities, counties, sanitary districts, soil and water conservation districts, irrigation districts, various special districts and certain intergovernmental entities. "Public agency" in this program is defined by ORS 468.423.

The program also lends to certified nonprofit Community Development Financial Institutions for the specific purpose of lending to individual homeowners for the repair or replacement of a failing septic system, or connection to a public sewer system.

If you are unsure whether your organization qualifies, contact DEQ at 503-229-5622.

CWSRF Project Eligibilities

A wide range of water infrastructure projects are eligible to receive CWSRF assistance:

Construction of publicly owned treatment works
Construction of publicly owned treatment works (as defined in CWA section 212)
Nonpoint source
Implementation a state nonpoint source pollution management program, established under CWA section 319
National estuary program projects
Development and implementation of a conservation and management plan under CWA section 320
Decentralized wastewater treatment systems
Construction, repair, or replacement of decentralized wastewater treatment systems that treat municipal wastewater or domestic sewage
Stormwater
Measures to manage, reduce, treat, or recapture stormwater or subsurface drainage water
Water conservation, efficiency, and reuse
Reduce the demand for publicly owned treatment works capacity through water conservation, efficiency, or reuse
Watershed pilot projects
Development and implementation of watershed projects meeting the criteria in CWA section 122
Energy efficiency
Measures to reduce the energy consumption needs for publicly owned treatment works
Water reuse
Projects for reusing or recycling wastewater, stormwater, or subsurface drainage water
Security measures
Measures to increase the security of publicly owned treatment works
Technical assistance
An eligible borrower may contract for technical assistance to plan, develop, and obtain financing for CWSRF eligible projects and to assist each treatment works in achieving compliance with the CWA. In some cases, DEQ can provide free technical assistance.