What does WSAG mean in US GOVERNMENT

The Water Supply Assistance Grant (WSAG) is a competitive grant program created to provide financial assistance for the development of new or upgraded community water supplies and/or public drinking water systems. This grants provide funds for planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance costs associated with these projects.

Eligibility to receive WSAG funding is limited to public bodies, non-profit corporations, units of local governments, special districts, joint powers authorities, mutual water companies and Indian tribes located in the State of California.

Yes. Major improvements are defined as any system which serves more than 200 service connections or an average daily population of 3,000 people or greater. Projects must provide either improved drinking water quality or increased drinking water supply reliability.

Yes. The maximum amount that may be awarded for an individual project in FY2020–21 is $5 million; however the Department reserves the right to award greater amounts as necessary in cases where extraordinary need exists or when smaller projects can be bundled into one larger project.

Yes. Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial capability at the time of application submission as well as throughout project implementation so that all funds provided under WSAG are used and spent solely on eligible activities/costs related to the proposed project.

Eligible projects include those related but not limited to ground storage tanks and reservoirs; surface storage reservoirs; interties; non-potable reuse systems; wells/wellfields; treatment plants (including finished-water storage); distribution systems; pump stations; hydropower turbines/penstocks; pipelines including gravity mains and booster pump installations; desalination systems; recycled water systems including purple pipe replacements and expansion projects; corrosion control studies and treatments as part of integrated system optimization plans, among others.

Matching funds are not required upfront but applicants must commit in writing that they will contribute local matching funds before receiving payment on any awards granted by this program. Although typically only 20 percent match (or 6 percent hard match) is required depending on system size and needs additional match requirements may be necessary due to availability of additional sources within the community (e.g., DWR Infrastructure Program).

Yes — some operation & maintenance activities may be partially funded by this program if they are identified during initial period planning process as being necessary over long-term use periods — such as start up/commissioning activities post project completion periods, monitoring & surveillance costs associated with meeting state operating permit conditions, etc.; although they will not likely constitute majority of requested total grant amount provided by this program under any circumstances unless otherwise approved by Division staff based upon discussion during formal application evaluation & ranking cycle process going forward without exception or deviation from established protocols utilized for similar yet distinctively different types of projects falling within scope provided via existing regulations & guidelines governing overall administration & review procedures followed prior approval segments happening elsewhere comparable actions taken around same general time frames relevant information factored into decision making parameters associated thereto.