Vol. 5 No. 3 Winter 1997
A Newsletter About New Jersey's Water Quality Programs

The Division of Water Quality would like to make municipalities aware of a new grants program to provide wastewater services in all portions of rural communities that are not currently served either by a sewage collection or by a wastewater treatment system and are severely economically disadvantaged. The new program requires that eligible communities: (1) have a total population of 3,000 or less, (2) a per capita income of less than $17,357 and (3) the local unemployment rate (on a municipality or county basis) exceeds the national average by one percent or more at the time of grant application. Project sponsors will be asked to confirm that they satisfy the eligibility requirements at the time of application.

Hardship grant funding will be available for projects starting with the FFY98/SFY99 funding cycle (i.e., November 1998 awards) and will be combined with low interest loan funding from the Wastewater Treatment Financing Program to make the project more affordable. Grant assistance will be provided to an eligible project sponsor in an amount of $100,000 (for no more than 85 percent of the allowable project cost) or 30 percent of the allowable project cost, whichever is greater.

Please note that additional information regarding the Hardship Grants Program for Rural Communities will be included in the Proposed FFY99 Priority System document. For more information on projects in the north, please contact Stanley V. Cach, Jr., Chief, P.E., P.P., Bureau of Engineering North at (609) 292 6894. Projects in the south should contact Gautam Patel, Chief, Bureau of Engineering South at (609) 984 6840. General questions regarding priority list placement should be directed to Theresa Fenton, Chief, Bureau of Program Development and Technical Services at (609) 292 3859.