The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP or the Department) seeks proposals from Massachusetts regional or municipal wastewater utilities or systems that meet the definition of “Permittee” and are subject to 314 CMR 16.00, for innovative projects that will assist them in meeting the requirements of MassDEP’s Sewage Notification Regulations.
Donor Name: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/10/2023
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
MassDEP is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and environmental justice (EJ) through its public investments. The agency seeks to prioritize the direction of these resources to benefit EJ communities and to address environmental inequities. To that end, MassDEP grant and funding programs include criteria and evaluation parameters that emphasize equity, diversity and environmental justice, consistent with each program’s statutory authority and source of funding. Preference will be given to projects that provide direct benefit to environmental justice populations.
Funding Information
MassDEP anticipates that up to $563,289 in total funding may be available for projects through this program. Grant Awards may range from $10,000 to $563,289 per applicant, although the MassDEP review committee reserves the right, in its discretion, to grant smaller awards to proposals of exceptional merit. If there are remaining unspent capital funds available from other Department projects during the period between the announcement of this grant opportunity and the announcement of the grant awards, the Department reserves the right to allocate supplemental funds to this grant solicitation and/or initiate additional funding rounds. Applicants must only propose project scopes with timelines that can be completed between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. All funding for awards issued through this program are subject to the availability of appropriations or funding from other Department sources.
Eligible Projects
Eligible Projects will result in non-operational expenditures, capital investments, planning projects, or installation of equipment that will help Sewage Notification permittees meet one or more requirement(s) of 314 CMR 16.00. Eligible projects will also improve the timeliness, accuracy, and reliability of public notification; and/or improve the clarity and accessibility of this information to the public. Eligible Projects must also provide a shared benefit to Permittee and its environmental justice populations (if present in the Permittee’s jurisdiction).
Examples of Eligible Projects include, but are not limited to:
- New or improved signage at public access points or at CSO outfalls;
- Services to design and/or implement a public notification system for subscribers to receive emails/text message notifications of CSO activation which will be hosted and supported/operated by the municipal or regional utility beyond the grant funding cycle;
- Consultant services for design or improvement of a website that will be hosted and supported/operated by the municipal or regional utility beyond the grant funding cycle;
- Purchase/installation of meters where metering was not previously present or where the meters will increase reliability or speed of discharge activation detection and flow measurement;
- Purchase/installation of other equipment including a one-time software or sensor installation used to detect/determine discharges and/or measuring volume (i.e., computer models); or
- Translation services.
Examples of projects that are not eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:
- Salary for existing or new municipal or contracted employees involved in work related to 314 CMR 16.00;
- Funding for the operation and maintenance of sewer systems;
- Meter rental and software subscription costs; or
- Funding for the operation of assets associated with metering or detecting discharges.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are regional or municipal wastewater utilities that meet the regulatory definition of “Permittee” as defined in 314 CMR 16.02. Eligible entities may have combined sewer systems or separate sewer and stormwater systems.
For more information, visit MassDEP.
