Facilities Financing Issues
NDWAC Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Working Group
Background: The first meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Working Group was held on July 16-17, 1997, in Washington, DC. The DWSRF Working Group arrived at consensus on the following actions: issue papers should be developed based on the Working Group's discussion on eligibility and private systems; an information document with examples should be prepared to assist States in defining eligible growth; the Working Group will review and comment on the transfer guidance being developed by EPA; the Working Group will review and comment on EPA's information document on credit analysis for private systems; and, the Working Group will review and comment on EPA's "Questions & Answers" (Q&A) that are under development for the DWSRF. The Working Group also arrived at consensus language on the following recommendations that it would make to NDWAC: 1) that NDWAC support and encourage EPA's efforts to develop guidance which allows flexibility in the transfer of funds between the SRF's of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act; 2) that NDWAC urge EPA to pursue needed statutory change to eliminate the transfer deadline in section 302 [42 USC 300j]; and, 3) that NDWAC urge EPA to pursue needed statutory changes to allow use of the CWA and SDWA SRF's for cross-collateralization.
Status: The Working Group's next meeting is scheduled for September 17, 1997 in Washington, DC. CONTACT: Rick Naylor, U.S. EPA 202/260-5135 or Christy Kettell, AMSA 202/833-9106.
AMSA Competitiveness Report
Background: AMSA and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) have joined to produce a new publication, Thinking, Getting & Staying Competitive: A Public Sector Handbook. The Handbook will serve as a companion piece to AMSA's previously released, "Evaluating Privatization: An AMSA Checklist," and "Managed Competition: Developing and Responding to RFQs & RFPs." The Handbook is being developed under the guidance of AMSA's Competitiveness Workgroup (formerly the Privatization Workgroup) and will be released during AMSA's 1998 Winter Conference, February 3-6, in San Antonio, TX. The Handbook will illustrate a "how to" approach to becoming competitive by highlighting proven strategies for becoming competitive and profiling several utilities that have developed these strategies. Following the release of the Handbook in February, AMSA and AMWA will sponsor eight "how to" workshops across the country based on the publication.
Status: The Competitiveness Workgroup will review an initial draft of the publication in mid-October, 1997 and anticipates finalizing the document by the end of November 1997. CONTACT: Christy Kettell, AMSA 202/833-3692.
- EPA for the first time approved a lease/purchase deal between the city of Fairbanks, AK and Golden Heart Utilities (GHU) on August 8, 1997. Under the terms of the deal, GHU will lease the federally funded portions of Fairbanks' wastewater treatment facility with a mandatory purchase provision that would become effective after December 28, 1999. Currently, GHU and the city of Fairbanks will be listed as co-permittees under the city's current NPDES permit and under the sludge permit. Prior to purchasing the facility, GHU will have to apply to EPA for a new permit as the owner and operator of the facility.