33 Miss. Code. R. § 6-III - Structure of the Mississippi DWSIRLF

The Mississippi DWSIRLF is structured around three separate funds that sustain the Program and help it achieve the basic, short-term, and long-term goals. The funds are broken down further into designated accounts, each having a specific function.

A. DWSIRLF Loan/Operations Fund

Monies in the Fund support a majority of the functions of the DWSIRLF. These functions include: program administration, set-aside operations, and most importantly, provide disbursements to public water systems for eligible projects. The DWSIRLF is a reimbursement program, meaning that after the loan is awarded, costs associated with planning, designing and constructing the project are reimbursed to the recipient. Cap grants from EPA, loan repayments and interest earnings are deposited into this Fund.

1. Types of Eligible Projects:

Many types of projects are eligible for funding by the Program. For a more detailed explanation of eligible costs for projects, please reference Appendix A of the DWSIRLF Regulations.

2. Set-aside Accounts:

The set-aside accounts reside under the umbrella of the Fund and are distinctly designated by reporting categories. A listing of the set-asides taken by Mississippi includes the following:

a. Administrative Set-aside: Provides financial support to administer the loan Program and other non-project-related activities.

b. Small System Technical Assistance Set-aside: Provides technical assistance to small water systems through the current contractual services with Communities Unlimited, Inc.; Mississippi State University - Extension Service (MSU-ES) and the Mississippi Rural Water Association (MsRWA).

c. State Program Management Set-aside: Provides additional financial support to MSDH - Bureau of Public Water Supply for Public Water System Supervision Program.

d. Local Assistance and Other State Programs: Provides funding for the implementation of a wellhead protection program through current contractual services with the Mississippi Rural Water Association (MsRWA) and Mid-South Water, LLC.

B. DWSIRLF State Match Funds

As required by the SDWA, the State of Mississippi must match the Cap grant with state funds equaling 20% of the federal allotment. Mississippi historically has received the required 20% state match from the sale of General Obligation bonds authorized by the State Legislature and sold by the Mississippi State Bond Commission; however, since the 2014 legislative secession, the State Legislature has authorized a direct appropriation for the state match. While state match monies are maintained separately from the Fund for accounting purposes, they are still considered to be under the "umbrella" protection of the DWSRF Fund.

C. Drinking Water Systems Emergency Loan Fund (DWSELF)

The DWSELF Fund contains state monies that are utilized only for public water supply loans which meet the definition of emergency. For further information see Appendix J.

Notes

33 Miss. Code. R. § 6-III

Adopted 2/14/2016