[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 116 (Monday, June 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36183-36185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14333]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9823-7]


State Allotment Percentages for the Drinking Water State 
Revolving Fund Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
is announcing the revised Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) 
allotments that will be provided to the States, the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories, American Indian Tribes and 
Alaska Native Villages if the President's budget request for Fiscal 
Year 2014 is enacted. These allotments reflect the results from EPA's 
most recent Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment 
which was released on June 3, 2013. The revised State allotment 
percentages will be the basis for distributing the DWSRF program 
appropriations to the States for the four years from Fiscal Years 2014 
through 2017.

DATES: This notice is effective June 17, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For inquiries, contact Robert Barles, 
Drinking Water Protection Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking 
Water (4606M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-3814; fax 
number: (202) 564-3757; email address: [email protected]. Copies of 
this document and information on the Drinking Water Infrastructure 
Needs Survey and Assessment and the DWSRF program can be found on EPA's 
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water Web site at http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/dwsrf/index.cfm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) 
Amendments established a DWSRF program. Congress directed that 
allotments for FY 1998 and each subsequent year would be distributed 
among States based on the results of an assessment by EPA of the 
relative infrastructure investment needs of the drinking water systems 
within each State (SDWA section 1452(a)(1)(D)(ii)) which must be 
conducted every four years.

EPA's Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment

    EPA's first assessment, which reflected 1995 survey data, was 
released in 1997; the second assessment, which reflected 1999 survey 
data, was released in 2001; the third assessment, which reflected the 
2003 survey data, was released in 2005; and the fourth assessment, 
which reflected the 2007 survey data, was released in 2009. The 2011 
Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (Needs 
Assessment) was released on June 3, 2013 (EPA 816-R-13-006). The 2011 
Needs Assessment was completed in cooperation with State and Navajo 
Nation agencies with primacy for implementing the SDWA programs within 
their borders. EPA regional offices facilitated the surveying of water 
systems serving American Indian (AI) communities and Alaska Native 
Villages (ANV). These agencies participated in both the design of the 
survey and in the collection of data. The survey examined the needs of 
water systems and used these data to determine the aggregate 
infrastructure investment needs of drinking water systems within each 
individual State and for AI/ANV systems within each EPA Region or the 
Navajo Nation.
    The survey included all of the nation's 606 largest systems 
(serving over 100,000 people) with 598 providing data (a response rate 
of 98.7%). For the nation's 8,059 medium sized systems (each serving 
3,301-100,000 people), the survey relied on a statistically-
representative random selection of 2,234 with 2,159 systems responding 
(a response rate of 96.6%). For the 791 American Indian water systems, 
the survey relied on a statistical random selection of 220 with 218 
systems responding (a response rate of 99%). For the 165 water systems 
serving Alaska Native Villages, the survey relied on a statistical 
random selection of 86 systems with 84 responding (a response rate of 
97.7%). The survey also sampled the 4 medium and 1 large systems of the 
U.S. Territories (with a 100% response rate). For small, non-tribal 
water systems (each serving less than 3,301 people), the 2011 
assessment extrapolated the findings from the 2007 survey by adjusting 
to 2011 dollars.
    The sample design for the survey and assessment produces a 
statistically-valid State-by-State estimate of the total need, which 
reflects the capital costs for all drinking water infrastructure 
projects allowed for inclusion in the survey. The 2011 Needs Assessment 
also presents capital needs for each State by system size and by 
category of need (i.e., treatment, distribution and transmission, 
storage, source and ``other'').
    In general, an infrastructure project was included in the Needs 
Assessment if project documentation demonstrated that meeting the need 
would address the public health objectives of SDWA. The total State 
need includes both projects that are currently needed and future 
projects that will be needed over the next 20 years. Projects to 
correct immediate public health threats (e.g., replacing a deteriorated 
filter plant) are given the same weight in the assessment as less 
critical needs (e.g., replacing a

[[Page 36184]]

storage tank that is expected to reach the end of its useful life in 
five years). The Needs Assessment excluded capital projects that are 
ineligible for DWSRF program assistance such as dams, reservoirs and 
projects needed solely for growth.
    The 2011 Needs Assessment found that the total national need is 
$384.2 billion (Table 1). This estimate represents the needs of the 
approximately 52,000 community water systems and 21,400 not-for-profit 
non-community water systems that are eligible to receive DWSRF program 
assistance. These systems are found in all 50 States, Puerto Rico and 
the District of Columbia; in the Virgin Island and Pacific Island 
territories; and on American Indian lands and in Alaska Native 
Villages.

 Table 1--2011 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment
                              20-Year Needs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Need
                        Type of need                          (billions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
States, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia..................       $375.3
Territories................................................          0.7
American Indian and Alaska Native Villages.................          3.3
Costs for Proposed and Recent Regulations..................          4.9
                                                            ------------
  Total National Need......................................        384.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Numbers may not total due to rounding.

    The total national need also includes $4.90 billion in capital 
needs associated with recently promulgated and proposed regulations as 
identified in EPA Economic Analyses accompanying the rules. Although 
these needs are included in the total national need, they were not 
apportioned to the States based on the unanimous recommendation of the 
State representatives who participated in the survey design. The States 
expressed concern that the methods available for allocating the costs 
of these more recent or proposed regulations would not yet be 
represented in the capital improvement plans of water systems at the 
time of the 2011 survey. The total State need, which is the figure that 
EPA will use to calculate the State allotments, includes only the needs 
of the 50 States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The 2011 
Needs Assessment estimates that the total State need is $375.3 billion.

Allocation Method

    On October 31, 1996, EPA solicited public comment on six options 
for using the results of the first Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs 
Survey and Assessment to allocate DWSRF program funds to the States (61 
FR 56231). On March 18, 1997, EPA announced its decision to allocate 
DWSRF program funds for fiscal years 1998 through 2001 appropriations 
based on each State's proportional share of the total eligible needs 
for the States as derived from the 1995 Needs Assessment (62 FR 12900). 
EPA used this same method when allocating DWSRF program funds for: 
fiscal years 2002 through 2005, utilizing the results of the 1999 Needs 
Assessment; fiscal years 2006 through 2009, utilizing the results of 
the 2003 Needs Assessment; and fiscal years 2010 through 2013 utilizing 
the results of the 2007 Needs Assessment. EPA has made the 
determination that it will continue to use this method for allocating 
DWSRF program funds for fiscal years 2014 through 2017 appropriations 
utilizing the results of the 2011 Needs Assessment. The funds available 
to the States will be the level of funds appropriated by Congress less 
any national set-aside such as the set aside for American Indian and 
Alaska Native Village water systems. Of the remaining funds available 
to States, the SDWA includes a specific combined allocation for the 
Virgin Island and Pacific Island territories and a minimum for the 
District of Columbia. Each State (including Puerto Rico) will receive 
an allotment of DWSRF program funds based on each State's proportional 
share of the total combined need for all States and the District of 
Columbia ($375.3 billion) provided that each State receives a minimum 
allocation of one percent of the funds available to States, as required 
by the SDWA. The 2011 Needs Assessment found that 17 States, Puerto 
Rico and the District of Columbia each had less than one percent of the 
total national need; for 2014 to 2017, each of these will be eligible 
for one percent of the annual DWSRF funds made available to States (or, 
in aggregate, 19 percent of the total DWSRF funds made available to 
States).

Allocation of Funds

    Table 2 contains each State's expected DWSRF program allotment 
based on the President's budget request for FY 2014. The national set-
aside for Fiscal Year for American Indian and Alaska Native Village 
water systems is 2.0 percent of the total appropriation or $16,340,000 
for FY 2014 under the President's budget request. If funds are 
appropriated for the DWSRF program at the level of $817,000,000, the 
total funds available to the States, the District of Columbia and 
Territories would then equal $798,660,000. Because the percentages are 
based on allotting all available funds annually to the States 
regardless of the year in the four-year cycle, they can be used for 
general planning purposes for the entire four-year cycle. Once the 2014 
and subsequent year appropriated amounts and any national set-asides 
are known, a State's allotment can be estimated by subtracting any 
national set-aside from the total funds available for allotment and 
then applying the appropriate percentage shown below. EPA will annually 
notify each State of its allotment from a specific fiscal year's 
appropriation after the final budget has been passed.

   Table 2--DWSRF State Percentages and Dollar Allotments Based on the
  President's Budget Request for FY 2014 and the 2011 Needs Assessment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              State                FY 2014 Allotment  2014 Allotment (%)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.........................         $15,253,000                1.91
Alaska..........................           7,987,000                1.00
Arizona.........................          14,419,000                1.81
Arkansas........................          12,220,000                1.53
California......................          75,142,000                9.41
Colorado........................          13,901,000                1.74
Connecticut.....................           8,093,000                1.01
Delaware........................           7,987,000                1.00
Florida.........................          29,211,000                3.66
Georgia.........................          17,413,000                2.18
Hawaii..........................           7,987,000                1.00

[[Page 36185]]

 
Idaho...........................           7,987,000                1.00
Illinois........................          33,328,000                4.17
Indiana.........................          12,955,000                1.62
Iowa............................          11,945,000                1.50
Kansas..........................           9,102,000                1.14
Kentucky........................          12,434,000                1.56
Louisiana.......................          10,950,000                1.37
Maine...........................           7,987,000                1.00
Maryland........................          13,555,000                1.70
Massachusetts...................          14,846,000                1.86
Michigan........................          24,858,000                3.11
Minnesota.......................          14,291,000                1.79
Mississippi.....................           8,270,000                1.04
Missouri........................          16,123,000                2.02
Montana.........................           7,987,000                1.00
Nebraska........................           7,987,000                1.00
Nevada..........................          11,390,000                1.43
New Hampshire...................           7,987,000                1.00
New Jersey......................          15,195,000                1.90
New Mexico......................           7,987,000                1.00
New York........................          38,334,000                4.80
North Carolina..................          18,686,000                2.34
North Dakota....................           7,987,000                1.00
Ohio............................          22,200,000                2.78
Oklahoma........................          12,868,000                1.61
Oregon..........................          11,344,000                1.42
Pennsylvania....................          25,536,000                3.20
Puerto Rico.....................           7,987,000                1.00
Rhode Island....................           7,987,000                1.00
South Carolina..................           7,987,000                1.00
South Dakota....................           7,987,000                1.00
Tennessee.......................           7,987,000                1.00
Texas...........................          57,746,000                7.23
Utah............................           8,334,000                1.04
Vermont.........................           7,987,000                1.00
Virginia........................          13,232,000                1.66
Washington......................          17,825,000                2.23
West Virginia...................           7,987,000                1.00
Wisconsin.......................          13,928,000                1.74
Wyoming.........................           7,987,000                1.00
District of Columbia............           7,987,000                1.00
U.S. Territories *..............          11,980,000                1.50
                                 ---------------------------------------
    Total Funds Available to the         798,660,000  ..................
     States, the District of
     Columbia, Puerto Rico, and
     U.S. Territories...........
American Indian & Alaska Native           16,340,000  ..................
 Water Systems..................
Monitoring for Unregulated                 2,000,000  ..................
 Contaminants...................
                                 ---------------------------------------
    Total SRF Appropriation.....         817,000,000  ..................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the
  Northern Mariana Islands.


    Dated: June 6, 2013.
Peter C. Grevatt,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 2013-14333 Filed 6-14-13; 8:45 am]
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