FINANCING ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR SMALL PUBLIC WATER-SYSTEMS

Many small and very small drinking water systems require repair and up grading if they are to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and its amendments. Often, dispersed population makes infrastructure expensive on a per-capita basis. Funding shortages at the federal, sta te, and water system levels compound the problem, leading to budget de ficits, layoffs, and furloughs that affect. small systems' capability to conduct repairs. Various alternative financial assistance mechanism s are available to small systems to fund improvements. The funding opt ions include loans and grants from federal and state agencies, banks, foundations, and other sources. This article provides a comprehensive review of the sources of such financial assistance. In addition, it su pplies names of publications that can direct the reader to further ass istance.