The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a federal-state funding program that supports eligible public drinking water system projects through state-managed programs.
Definition
For a civil engineering firm, the DWSRF matters because a public water system may use program assistance to fund planning, design, or other eligible project costs. States administer their programs, including application procedures, priorities, project selection, and available forms of assistance, within federal requirements. The fund itself does not hire a consultant or guarantee that a project will receive funding. A firm may work for the water system or another project participant, with its scope and payment terms set by its contract. What costs and activities qualify, and how assistance is structured, vary by state and project. DWSRF funding is not the same as a grant in every case, and program assistance does not replace the project agreement or the firm’s professional services contract. See the EPA’s drinking water funding information.
How owners use it
- An owner checks the state program’s eligibility and application process while helping a water system plan engineering services.
- A firm tracks the project’s funding milestones alongside its scope, deliverables, and invoice schedule.
- A water system has $1,000,000 in eligible costs and $800,000 in assistance; $1,000,000 - $800,000 = $200,000 remains to be funded from other sources.
