Clean Water State Revolving Fund

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) administers the State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs for the State of Georgia, including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), and the Georgia Fund. Through its annual Call for Projects process, GEFA solicits potential water, wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, solid waste, and related infrastructure projects for inclusion in its Intended Use Plans, which are submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Projects must submit a completed pre-application in order to be considered for placement on the applicable Fundable List and incorporated into the Intended Use Plan. For the Emerging Contaminant Funding opportunity, GEFA specifies that eligible projects must meet State Revolving Fund eligibility requirements and have a primary purpose of addressing emerging contaminants in Public Water Systems, with a focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This targeted funding is intended to support public health protection by assisting communities in identifying, mitigating, or removing emerging contaminants from drinking water supplies. As with other SRF-supported projects, eligible activities may include planning, engineering, design, and capital improvements, provided they align with DWSRF requirements and address the defined emerging contaminant objective. More broadly, the CWSRF, DWSRF, and Georgia Fund annual call encompasses water quality projects related to wastewater, stormwater, nonpoint source pollution, drinking water systems, and solid waste. Eligible project types include planning and assessment activities that are reasonably expected to lead to capital improvements, as well as engineering, design, and construction of infrastructure. GEFA applies updated project scoring criteria to rank applications based on readiness to proceed, compliance benefits, public health impacts (for DWSRF projects), water quality improvements (for CWSRF projects), priority project types, planning elements, applicant status, and cybersecurity considerations. Financial assistance is generally structured as low-interest loans, with the potential for principal forgiveness for CWSRF and DWSRF projects. Principal forgiveness determinations are based on affordability criteria and project ranking. GEFA reserves the right to offer principal forgiveness to projects that align with specific funding priorities. Additional interest rate discounts may be available for conservation projects, WaterFirst and PlanFirst communities, and communities with high affordability scores. Detailed eligibility guidance is provided through CWSRF, DWSRF, and Georgia Fund eligibility documents, as well as scoring criteria and loan program policies published by GEFA. Submission requires completion of a formal pre-application through GEFA’s designated online process. For Emerging Contaminant Funding, pre-applications will be accepted until February 27, 2026. Only projects with a completed pre-application will be considered for inclusion in the Intended Use Plan. Following ranking and list development, CWSRF and DWSRF projects are incorporated into the Intended Use Plans and submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for review. GEFA’s office is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and program inquiries may be directed to the agency via its main telephone line at (404) 584-1000 during standard business hours. As the Call for Projects occurs once each year, prospective applicants should monitor GEFA announcements for future cycles and updated submission timelines.

Readiness to proceed, demonstrated compliance and public health benefits, strong water quality impact, and alignment with affordability and cybersecurity criteria may improve project ranking.