Creating a Disadvantaged Communities Program
within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program

Disadvantaged Communities

The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) created the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program. Through the program, states receive funds from the federal government which are used to capitalize state managed revolving loan fund programs. States are given a degree of flexibility in how they design the programs including the ability to design special programs for “disadvantaged communities.”

Section 1452 of the SDWA of 1996 defines a “disadvantaged community” as “the service area of a public water system that meets affordability criteria established after public review and comment by the State in which the public water system is located.”

Some states in EPA Region 4 such as Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , and South Carolina have created disadvantaged community programs; while others such as North Carolina are considering them.

Click here for an inventory of EPA Region 4 states that have chosen to implement disadvantaged community programs.

Click here for a paper that explores how North Carolina should define a “disadvantaged community” as it relates to the DWSRF.

Other Resources:
US Code Title 42, Chapter 6A, Subchapter XII, Part E, Section 300j-12. State Revolving Loan Funds. http://aloe.csv.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/42/300j-12.html

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program – Financing America 's Drinking Water from the Source to the Tap, Report to Congress. May 2003 http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/progress.pdf

The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996: Strengthening Protection for America 's Drinking Water http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa/theme.html

GAO, “Drinking Water: Key Aspects of EPA's Revolving Fund Program Need to Be Strengthened.” GAO- 02-135. January, 2002.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02135.pdf

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program: Case Studies in Implementation III. Disadvantaged Communities. EPA 816-R-00-005, August 2000. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/disadvantaged.pdf

U.S. EPA – Office of Water. “Information for States on Developing Affordability Criteria for Drinking Water.” EPA 816-R-98-0002. February, 1998. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/afforddh.html

“Recommendations of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council to U.S. EPA on Its National Small Systems Affordability Criteria” July 2003 http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ndwac/pdfs/report_ndwac_affordabilitywg_final_.08-08-03.pdf

For more information, please contact Stacey Isaac Berahzer at isaac@sog.unc.edu.