Sustainable Infrastructure Planning Projects

The Sustainable Infrastructure Planning Projects program is administered through the Oregon Health Authority in coordination with Business Oregon as part of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The program is designed to support public water systems in planning activities that strengthen long term sustainability, resilience, and operational effectiveness of drinking water infrastructure. It focuses on upstream planning rather than construction, enabling systems to better prepare for future capital investments and regulatory requirements. The program is particularly oriented toward smaller systems, with priority consideration given to those serving fewer than 300 service connections. The primary objective of the program is to fund planning level studies and assessments that guide infrastructure improvements and system management decisions. Funding is provided in the form of one hundred percent forgivable loans, meaning recipients are not required to repay funds if program requirements are met. These funds are intended to hire qualified third party professionals to complete eligible planning activities such as feasibility studies, asset management plans, system partnership evaluations, and resilience or security assessments. The program emphasizes sustainable practices, including long term financial planning, infrastructure reliability, and risk mitigation. Funding amounts vary by project type, with a maximum award of up to 50000 dollars for certain comprehensive planning efforts such as feasibility studies, system partnership studies, water system master plans, and seismic risk assessments. Other project types, including asset management plans, water rate studies, leak detection studies, and community engagement plans, are capped at 20000 dollars. Applicants may combine up to two project types in a single application, though total funding is limited based on the inclusion of higher tier project categories. Funds are disbursed on a reimbursement basis, requiring recipients to incur and document eligible expenses prior to payment. Eligibility is limited to community public water systems and nonprofit non community public water systems. The program does not support construction, engineering design, or operational costs, and excludes activities such as ground disturbance, in house staffing expenses, and ongoing maintenance. Applicants must complete funded projects within two years of contract execution, although limited extensions may be granted. Systems are generally eligible to receive funding once every three years, with specific exceptions allowed for seismic planning components tied to broader master planning efforts. The application process requires submission of a complete and current application form to the designated program email. Applications are reviewed by the Oregon Health Authority for eligibility and scored based on established criteria. Projects are then ranked and placed on a Project Priority List, followed by a public notice period before final funding decisions are made. Business Oregon coordinates with selected applicants to finalize funding agreements and initiate project implementation. The program operates on a recurring annual cycle with two submission deadlines each year, February fifteenth and August fifteenth. Applications received by these deadlines are evaluated in batches. Following review and ranking, selected applicants proceed through a contracting process prior to beginning work. The timeline from submission to award depends on review cycles and funding availability, but the structured deadlines provide predictable entry points for prospective applicants seeking planning support for water infrastructure improvements.

Prioritize projects serving fewer than 300 connections and include high priority study types such as feasibility asset management or resilience assessments