The goal of this program is to improve the quality of life of Illinoisans. The intent of this grant is to fund the rehabilitation of the water main distribution system to restore reliable potable water within Illinois. Eligible activities can include, but are not limited to, pump station upgrades and distribution system improvements, replacement of meters, installation of a permanent emergency interconnection, repairs to ground storage tanks, and construction of additional storage tanks to achieve adequate storage capacity within the Project Area defined in the NOFO.

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30 ILCS 425(d)

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The intent of this grant is to fund the rehabilitation of the water main distribution system to restore reliable potable water within Illinois.

Yes

Applicants must be Local Government Units that have pre-qualified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal.

Government Organizations;

Eligible applicants include units of local government with jurisdiction to perform the project intent within each NOFO.

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Project Grants

Quality of Natural, Cultural, and Environmental Resources

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Applicants shall not apply for the Project until the applicant has pre-qualified through the GATA Grantee Portal, www.grants.illinois.gov.

1. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION A complete Project Application Packet must include the following: a. NOFO APPENDIX 1: Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance b. NOFO APPENDIX 2: Uniform Grant Budget Template (UGBT) i. The entire budget for all design engineering, construction activity, and construction observation/engineering should be provided, with all worksheets completed. ii. Please note, this program is utilizing State money and the FFATA Data Collection Form (Page 5 of 8) is not applicable and doesn’t need to be completed. c. NOFO APPENDIX 3: A Distribution System & Water Main Rehabilitation Project Summary Worksheet. The information provided within this worksheet, along with other submitted application materials, will be used to rank and prioritize applications in accordance with the scoring system contained within Section E.2 of this NOFO. d. NOFO APPENDIX 4: The Programmatic Risk Assessment Questionnaire (PRAQ), attached, also must be completed and submitted along with the application documents. This Risk Assessment evaluates the applicant’s ability to successfully carry out the terms of the Project and assesses four risk categories: 1) quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards; 2) history of performance; 3) reports and findings from audits performed on prior awards; and 4) the applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on a grantee. Applicant must also provide a copy of their Statement of Activities from their most recent financial audit as part of this review. Please attach Statement of Activities to the completed PRAQ and submit along with the other required application submittals. Instructions for completing the PRAQ are provided on the form e. NOFO APPENDIX 5: A completed Certifications and Assurances Acknowledgement Form. This form is to assure the applicant’s acknowledgement of the program requirements that will be listed within the executed UGA. f. An Engineering Study, or equivalent planning report, meeting the requirements of 35 Ill. Adm Code 662.320. g. GATA PORTAL: The Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment Questionnaire must be completed prior to the application submittal. This Questionnaire is located within the GATA Portal. The applicant must complete the Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment Questionnaire in the GATA Portal for Fiscal Year 2023 and Fiscal Year 2024. The IEPA requires applicants to use the forms provided in the GATA Portal. These forms are designed to allow the IEPA to obtain adequate information to properly evaluate the proposed project. All Project forms that require a signature must be signed by persons authorized by the applicant organization to enter into formal contractual agreements. Application submissions can be made either: a. By email using the EPA.LoanMgmt@illinois.gov. Include the phrase Water Main Distribution Rehabilitation Project and applicant name in the email subject line. (If application submittal materials require multiple emails, please label emails accordingly. For example: 1 of 2, 2 of 4, etc.) Contact the Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section at (217)782-2027 regarding potential firewall issues. OR b. By mailing or delivering the application on a CD, USB, or paper copy directly to: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Water, #15, PO Box 19276, Springfield, IL 62794 Attn: Lanina Clark

All applications shall be reviewed for completeness, technical merit, cost effectiveness, and adherence to the competitive grant evaluation criteria described in the NOFO. Applications found to be complete shall undergo a comprehensive, merit-based review performed in compliance with GATA Legislation 30 ILCS 708 and 2 CFR 200 Uniform Requirements. The merit-based review must evaluate the applications against the following criteria: Applicants shall be awarded one (1) point for each of the following review criteria where the IEPA Bureau of Water, Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section Staff answer “YES.” If any of the Review Criteria is not included or the IEPA Bureau of Water, Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section Staff answer “NO” to any of the following Review Criteria, zero (0) points shall be awarded. REVIEW CRITERIA YES/NO PTS The proposed Project components/activities are consistent with the intent of the NOFO identified in Section A. The proposed Project is to be completed within the Project Area as identified in Section A of the NOFO. The Project has a prompt and appropriate implementation schedule for the completion of the Project. Budget line items are justified within the Engineering Study as required in Section D(1)c of the NOFO. Project costs are limited to eligible components and activities within the Project Area identified in Section A of the NOFO. Applicant, or its consultant or partner, can successfully manage and complete the Project. TOTAL: Grant funds will be awarded per the NOFO starting with the highest ranked (most points) applicant first. A maximum of six (6) points shall be awarded per application.

The IEPA shall issue a Notice of State Award (NOSA) to the successful grant applicants. The NOSA shall specify the funding terms and specific conditions resulting from the Fiscal and Administrative and Programmatic Risk Assessments. The NOSA must be accepted by an authorized representative before a grant agreement can be sent to the applicant. A NOSA is not an authorization to begin project activities or incur costs. NOTE: No costs can be incurred by the applicant until the UGA is signed by both the Grantor and Grantee. Once all the final requirements have been completed, the grant agreement between the IEPA and the applicant shall be sent to the applicant to sign and return. Once the agreement is fully executed by the IEPA, a copy shall be returned to the applicant.

Applications are accepted by the IEPA until 1:00 p.m. (CST) on April 27, 2023. The complete application must be received at IEPA’s Springfield office by 1:00 p.m. (CST) on April 27, 2023 to be considered for funding under the Project.

21-60 Days

An appeal process is available to applicants and other interested parties; however, appeals are limited to the IEPA evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested. An appeal must be submitted in writing to the following address: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Attn: Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section, Bureau of Water, 1021 N. Grand Avenue, Mail Code #15, P.O. Box 19276, Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276 and must be received within 14 calendar days after the date that the grant award notice has been published by the IEPA on Grants.Illinois.gov. The written appeal shall include, at a minimum, the following: the name and address of the appealing party, identification of the grant, and a statement of reasons for the appeal. IEPA shall acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received. When an appeal is received, the execution of all grant agreements that IEPA intends to make under this NOFO shall be stayed until the appeal is resolved, unless the IEPA determines the needs of the State require moving forward with execution of the remaining grant agreements. The State need determination and rational shall be documented in writing. IEPA shall respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by IEPA within the time period set in the request. The Director of the IEPA may appoint one or more Appeal Review Officers (ARO) to consider the grant-related appeal and make a recommendation to the Director of the IEPA or designee for resolution. The ARO shall make a recommendation to the Director of the IEPA or designee as expeditiously as possible after receiving all relevant, requested information. In determining the appropriate recommendation, the ARO shall consider the integrity of the competitive grant process and the impact of the recommendation on the IEPA. The IEPA shall resolve the appeal by means of written determination, which shall include, but not be limited to: review of the appeal, appeal determination, and rationale for the determination.

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The Project DOES NOT require a match, but additional funds may be necessary to complete the project as the grant amount may not be sufficient to complete the project.

Examples of eligible Project components/activities are provided below. The list is not all-inclusive, and inclusion of a component/activity does not equate to an automatic eligibility for funding under the NOFO. Examples of eligible components/activities: a. Project components that are consistent with the intent of the NOFO as described in Section A such as: i. Installation of pump station upgrades ii. Purchase of emergency generator iii. Replacement of meters iv. Installation of a permanent emergency interconnection v. Watermain replacements vi. Water valves and fire hydrant replacements b. Professional and consultant services contracts necessary for planning, design, bidding, and construction of the Project meeting the requirements of 35 Ill. Adm Code 662.630. c. Project administrative costs, for activities such as quarterly and final reporting, outreach/education, and invoicing, etc. i. Funding for administrative costs shall not exceed one (1) percent of the total project cost. 3. INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES, TASKS, AND/OR COMPONENTS Examples of ineligible activities, tasks, and components that shall not be funded through the Project are provided below. The list is not all-inclusive: a. Activities that do not cause the rehabilitation and/or restoration of the drinking water distribution system in the Project area shown in Section A of this NOFO b. Any activity or component that is in conflict with State/federal law, or State/federal permit, including activities required or anticipated to be required by United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Water Resources (IDNR-OWR). c. Bonus or acceleration payments to contractors to meet contractual completion dates for construction; fees for failure to pay invoices on time, check overdrafts, etc. d. Mitigation costs e. Costs for food, drink, or entertainment f. Land acquisition costs g. Future growth or development projects NOTE: Costs incurred prior to the fully executed agreement date of the signed Uniform Grant Agreement (UGA) or after the grant agreement term ends are ineligible.

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Illinois Administrative Code 7000.90

Grantee shall maintain for three (3) years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report, adequate books, all financial records and, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to this Award, adequate to comply with 2 CFR 200.334, unless a different retention period is specified in 2 CFR 200.334, 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.430(a) and (b) or PART TWO or PART THREE. If any litigation, claim or audit is started before the expiration of the retention period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims or audit exceptions involving the records have been resolved and final action taken.

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$10,000,000

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1021 North Grand Ave East, Springfield, IL 62794

https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/forms/water-forms/financial-assistance.html

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3/14/2023

FY 2022 : $9,980,751
FY 2023 : $10,000,000