Kansas Department of Health & Environment
The Public Water Supply Section of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Water is charged with regulating all public water supply systems in the state to ensure safe drinking water. The section oversees more than 1,000 public water supply systems including municipalities, rural water districts, and privately owned systems. These systems may serve small communities of several families or cities of more than 300,000 persons.
The Kansas Development Finance Authority (KDFA) also issues bonds for four state revolving loan fund programs. KDFA works in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to provide loans through operation of the Kansas Clean Water Supply Revolving Loan Fund Program to political subdivisions for municipal and rural waste water systems and through the Public Water Supply Revolving Loan Fund Program which targets drinking water systems for political subdivisions.
The Public Water Supply Section manages programs that can provide funding assistance for municipalities that desire to make drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements. Grant funding is available for planning assistance related to drinking water infrastructure and loan funding is available for planning, design, and construction of both drinking water and wastewater system infrastructure.
There are 3 planning grant programs, Regional Public Water Supply Planning Grants, and Small Public Water Supply Systems Grants, and Corrosion Control Study Grants. Regional Public Water Supply Planning Grants can provide for 50% of the cost (up to $12,500) for developing engineering studies that evaluate regional solutions to public water supply needs. Small Public Water Supply System Grants can provide for 50% of the cost (up to $5,000) for developing engineering studies for public water supply systems serving a population of 1,000 or less that are out of compliance with drinking water regulations. Corrosion Control Study Grants can provide for 50% of the cost (up to $3,000) for developing a corrosion control study for public water supply systems serving a population of 10,000 or less that have had an action level exceedance for lead or copper.
The Kansas SRF can provide subsidized interest rate loans for almost any public water supply system or wastewater system infrastructure need. The interest rate for loans made in April 2020 is 1.50%.
