Clean Watershed Needs Survey

The CWNS is a periodic EPA effort to identify infrastructure needs throughout the country, including wastewater treatment and conveyance, stormwater, CSO (combined sewer overflow), nonpoint sources, and decentralized wastewater treatment systems. In May of 2023, the final data was entered into the EPA CWNS database.  EPA is now running quality assurance checks on the data from all states, and hopes to submit the final report to Congress this coming winter. Once the report is finalized, the data from all states and territories will be available from EPA, and a link will be provided here.

Background

This survey is crucial because it allows the Department to provide the gathered wastewater needs information to both the Executive and Legislative branches of state and federal government. This provides justification for funding these needs at the state and federal level. This includes funds for the state match in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program and State bonds or sustainable funding mechanisms for grants.

Results

In Maine, we had 170 responses out of 185 wastewater IDs, a 92% participation rate. This was due to the timely responses from towns and districts and the diligence of the staff in following up with survey recipients. There were several IDs who reported no needs. For those that helped with the data collection, “Thank You”, it is greatly appreciated.

Overall, the survey identified just over $3.1 billion in needs in the State, with the single largest need category being decentralized wastewater treatment systems at $769 million. The decentralized needs primarily account for the costs associated with individual subsurface systems (septic systems) used widely throughout the state. Combined municipal wastewater needs (treatment, conveyance, CSO) totaled $1.7 billion.

source: US EPA
source: US EPA

The federal funding formula for the State of Maine Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants Program will be updated using data from this survey. While the primary CWSRF funding allocation is not changed based on the survey it is a tool that Congress can use to determine funding for the CWSRF program as a whole.

Projects submitted for SRF funding that were included as a need in the CWNS survey will receive an extra five environmental points in the ranking process.

If you did not complete the survey, you will not receive any principal forgiveness funding from the department for the next two years. You will stilll be eligible to request funding in the form of loans, but you have missed an opportunity for an available $3.5M-$4M in base SRF funding PF and $8M in supplemental (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) funding PF per year.

EPA expects to do the next survey beginning in 2026.

Questions?

Please contact Robert Hartley at (207) 881-9490 or Sarah Hansen at (207) 719-8034 or email Maine.CWSRF.Grants@maine.gov.

CWNS Information and Form