Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Eligibility Handbook

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) annually solicits projects for inclusion in its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Intended Use Plan. This program, supported by federal funds through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and administered at the state level, aims to provide affordable financing for infrastructure projects that improve the quality and safety of public drinking water systems. GEFA's DWSRF supports a broad range of capital projects including treatment, transmission and distribution, storage, consolidation, source development, and the creation of new systems—provided the primary focus is to facilitate compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and address public health risks. The program also provides opportunities for disadvantaged communities through principal forgiveness, interest rate reductions, and technical assistance, all structured according to Georgia’s affordability criteria. The call for projects, which occurs once per year, is open to public water systems across the state, including both publicly and privately owned community water systems and nonprofit non-community systems. Eligible projects must meet SRF requirements and focus primarily on resolving health-based violations, replacing aging infrastructure, or addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS. To participate, systems must submit a complete pre-application by the stated deadline. For the 2026 cycle, pre-applications must be received by Friday, February 27, 2026. Projects addressing emerging contaminants are a particular focus for this round. GEFA emphasizes readiness to proceed, public health benefits, compliance impacts, and resilience when scoring and ranking proposals for funding. Applicants will be evaluated using a detailed scoring rubric that includes considerations such as project readiness, health and compliance impacts, water system sustainability, and cybersecurity provisions. GEFA may offer principal forgiveness to high-priority projects that meet targeted program goals or serve disadvantaged communities as determined by the agency’s affordability index. Additionally, WaterFirst and PlanFirst communities, as well as conservation-related projects, may qualify for interest rate discounts. Financing can cover planning, design, and construction activities. However, costs must be eligible under the federal DWSRF guidelines. Projects focused solely on growth, fire protection, or general operations and maintenance are not eligible. Certain administrative costs, engineering planning, or activities related to resilience and energy efficiency may also be supported when tied to a capital project. All funded projects will be incorporated into the annual Intended Use Plan and submitted to the U.S. EPA for approval. GEFA requires systems applying for funding to demonstrate technical, managerial, and financial capacity. In cases where deficiencies exist, systems may still apply if they commit to implementing necessary improvements. Pre-applications are submitted online through GEFA’s application portal. Following the submission deadline, GEFA will review, score, and prioritize projects. Selected projects will be incorporated into Georgia’s 2026 DWSRF Intended Use Plan. Projects not selected may be reconsidered in future cycles. GEFA maintains a transparent and rigorous process to ensure projects align with federal and state public health protection goals. The program is recurring and projects not funded in the current round are encouraged to reapply in subsequent years. Communities are encouraged to begin project planning early and to consult GEFA’s published eligibility, scoring criteria, and affordability index to prepare competitive submissions. GEFA’s offices are located at 47 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA, and staff can be reached at (404) 584-1000 for assistance.