drinking water

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Towns and Cities Served

REGIONAL OFFICE PROGRAM

The Regional Office Program issues water/wastewater permits (WW Permits) for soil based wastewater systems with flows of less than 6,500 gallons per day, for potable water supplies (water supplies that are not public water supplies), and for municipal water and sewer connections. Permitting staff are located in five Regional Offices. Staff also administers the licensed designer program and reviews innovative and alternative systems for potential use in the state.

Asset Management Programs

Asset Management Programs use asset inventories, life-cycle cost analyses, risk assessments, and financial planning to set priorities and help meet level of service goals in a cost-effective manner.  An effective program can help Vermont's public drinking water systems meet the challenges they face. 

Public Water System is defined as any source(s) or combination of sources owned or controlled by a person, that provides drinking water through pipes or other constructed conveyances to the public and that has at least fifteen (15) service connections or serves an average of at least twenty-five (25) individuals daily for at least sixty (60) days out of the year.

Each year the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) publish Intended Use Plans (IUPs) that explain how the SRF funding capitalization grants provided by the Federal government will be used to support the programs. Each IUP makes program decisions to meet requirements set by Congress in each year's capitalization grants and to address state programmatic priorities.

Municipalities without existing water or sewer rate payers  wishing to plan for a community-based drinking water or wastewater solution, can receive an Engineering Planning Advance to finance the costs of a Feasibility Study or a Preliminary Engineering Report.  (Currently there are no Drinking Water Engineering Planning Advance dollars appropriated, however, unsewered communities may explore a drinking water solution to wastewater issues.)

The Vermont Engineering Planning Advance Program is a financial program available to Vermont municipalities:

The Vermont-only Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund was established to provide loans to a municipality for the design, land acquisition, if necessary, and construction of a potable water supply when a household in the municipality has been disconnected involuntarily from a public water supply system for reasons other than nonpayment of fee.  The loan is to the municipality, not individual home owners.  Standard loan term is 20 year/3%.  The rate and term may be adjusted in accordance with program guidance documents.  

A component of the Drinking Water  and Groundwater Protection Division is dedicated to implementing and managing the Water Supply Rule.