MEMORANDUM 

SUBJECT: 

FROM: 

TO: 

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

JUN - 3 2015 

OrFICE OF W/1 fER 

Guidelines for Enhancing Public Awareness ofSRF Assistance 

Agreements 

;lM\ Andrew D. Sawyers. Ph.D., Director 

Office of Wastewater Management ( 420 I M) 

Peter C. Grevatt, Director :)~~f) \\ l 

OrficeofGround Water and Drinking Water(4601M) ).LV . ~ 

Water Management Division Directors 

Regions 1-X 

Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented an agency-wide initiative to 

enhance public awareness of EPA assistance agreements nationwide. The Office of Water has 

developed guidelines to inform states how this initiative should be implemented in the State 

Revolving Fund (SRF) Programs. 

The guidelines were developed with input from EPA and state SRF staff. The guidelines 

recognize that each of the state SRF programs and the projects they fund are different and that 

one implementation method will not work for everyone. Therefore, as a result of input from the 

states, the guidelines offer a number of options that can be used to enhance public awareness of 

SRF assistance agreements. 

Implementation of these guidelines will begin with the awarding of the FY 20 15 SRF 

capitalization grants. A tem1 and condition on compliance with the guidelines is to be 

included in all new RF grants. 

Please have your staff provide copies of the guidelines to your states. Questions regarding the 

guidelines should be directed to Sheila Platt (202/564-0686) or f-Ioward Rubin (202/564-2051 ). 

Attachment 

Internet Address (URL) • htlp 1/wwwepa gov 

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Enhancing Public Awareness of SRF Assistance Agr eements 

Introduction 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently implementing an agency-wide 

initiative focused on signage to enhance public awareness ofEPA assistance agreements 

nationwide. The intention of this effort is to communicate the positive impact and benefits of 

EPA funding around the country and increase awareness surrounding the improvements 

communjties receive as a result of State Revolving Fund (SRF) assistance. Proj ects implemented 

with Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund 

(DWSRF) monies are included in this initiative. as many CWSRF and DWSRF assistance 

agreements have direct and tangible benefits to populations around the country. 

EPA's Office of Water developed these guidelines as a way to inform states of this directive and 

how it should be implemented in the SRF programs. The primary objective is to enhance public 

understanding of the positive benefits of CWSRF and DWSRF funding to towns. c ities, 

municipalities and water systems. To that end, states are presented with a range of o ptions for 

implementing these guide! ines. All of these options achieve the ultimate goal of communicating 

to a broad audience the positive role EPA fund ing of the state CWSRF and DWSRF programs 

plays in communities ac ross the country. 

The information in the guidelines was developed with input from EPA and state staff across the 

country as well as the members of the State-EPA Workgroup. The guidelines recognize the wide 

range of project types, varied locations and diffe rent institutional approaches among states and 

communities. Therefore, providing states and SRF assistance recipients maximum flexibility is 

optimal. The guidelines allow se lection of the implementation method which best balances two 

goals. First, it should satisfy the overall objective of communicating EPA's role in funding 

assistance agreements that achieve positive benefit. Second, the implementation method should 

be practically and financially viable for states and communities and avoid any overly 

burdensome investment of time and resources. In some cases. it might be appropriate for a state 

to select a combination of options listed belov.r, provided this does not result in excessive cost to 

communities. 

Project Selection Requirements 

Signage requirements will not be required to apply to all SRF projects. Signage will be 

considered an equivalency requirement for SRF programs. States should select a set of borrowers 

and/or projects totaling a funding amount equi valent to the amount of their federal capitalization 

grant to satisfY the signage requirement. There arc no other requirements or restrictions on which 

projects should or should not participate in this initiative. Therefore, it is at the discretion of the 

state SRF program to se lect projects most able to efficientl y and effectively compl y in a way that 
meets the intention to enhance public awareness without significant financial hardship to the 

state or its borrowers. This can be done either through the selecti on of specific projects or 

borrowers. or by setting a threshold within the state for which projects will be requested to meet 

signagc requirements. States should note that they have the option of selecting different 

implementation options for different bonowers depending on the location, project type and 

available resources. Borrowers and/or projects complying with the signage requirement must 

ensure limited English proficient individuals have meaningful access to acti viti es receiving EPJ\ 

funds, consistent with Executive Order 13166 and EPA Order I 000.32. 

In this regard, to increase public awareness of projects serving communities where English is not 

the predominant language, States should encourage recipients when implementing a particular 

signage option to translate the language used (excluding the EPA logo or seal) into the 

appropriate non-English language(s). The costs of such translation are allowabl e. provided the 

costs are reasonable. 

Although the signage requirement does not apply to all SRF projects, we recommend that states 

encourage all borrowers/projects to notify the public of the benefits of the projects and the role of 

the SRF, using one of the options below. 

Summary of Options 

The guidelines present a number of options which communities can explore to implement EPA's 

signage poli cy. The option selected should meet all of the above basic requirements while 

remaining cost-effective and accessible to a broad audience. The guidelines describe the 

following strategies as acceptable options for communities to follo .. v: 

• Standard signage 

• Posters o r wall signage in a public building or location 

• Newspaper or periodical advertisement for project construction, groundbreaking 

ceremony. or operation of the new or improved facility 

• Online signage placed on community website or social media outlet 

• Press release 

Each of these options is described in more deta il in the secti ons belo\.v. 

Implementation Option: St:mdanl Signagc 

EPA recommends that large projects that involve significant expansion or construction of a new 

facility elect to publicize tllJough standard signage. This option should be selected for projects 

where the sign would be ncar a major road o r thoroughfare o r where the facility is in a location at 

which this would effectively publicize the upgrades. Some facilities will not find this an 

appropriate or cost-effective solution. For example, investing in a large road sign for a facility 

that is located in a rural area or where access is limited to a smaller service road would likely not 

be an optimal solution. 

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Signs can also be located away from the project site if there is another reasonable alternative. 

For example, a community may elect to place a sign advertising the project near a body of water 

that receives discharge from a particular facility. 

States selecting projects that will implement this requirement through use of a traditional sign 

should ensure the fo llowing are included: 

• The name ofthe facility. project and community 

• Project cost 

• The State Agency/SRF administering the program 

• The EPA and State Agency logos (EPA logo may only be used on a sign) 

If the EPA logo is displayed along with logos of other participating entities, the EPA logo must 

not be displayed in a manner that implies that EPA itself is conducting the project. Instead, the 

EPA logo must be accompanied with a statement indicating that the recipient received financial 

assistance from EPA for the project. As provided in the sign specifications from the EPA Office 

of Public Affairs (OPA), the EPA logo is the identifier for assistance agreement projects. States 

are required to ensure that recipients comply with the sign speci tications provided by the OPA. 

available at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/tc/epa logo seal specifications for infrastructure 

grants.pdf. To obtain the appropriate EPA logo graphic file. the recipient should send a request 

directly to OPA and include the EPA Project Officer in the communication. 

Implementation Option: Posters or Brochures 

Smaller projects, projects located in rural areas. and other efforts may tind that it is more costeffective and practical to advertise efforts through creation of a poster or smaller sign. If the 

project involves nonpoint source or green infrastructure components. those can be described at 

the discretion of the state or community. 

The poster or brochure and acknowledgement should be visible. as well as a website or other 

source of information for individuals that may be curious about the SRF program. The 

community could also implement this option as a short pamphlet or brochure that is placed in 

one of these locations for community members to read. 

Posters or brochures should be placed in a public location that is accessible to a wide audience of 

community members. This can include, but is not limited to: 

• Town or City Hall 

• Community Center 

• Locall y owned or operated park or recreational facility 

• Public Library 

• County/municipal government facilities 

• Court house or other public meeting space 

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Given the low cost for producing multiple copies of the same poster, pamphlet. or brochure, 

communities can explore options for displaying these posters in several locations simultaneously. 

This would achieve the overall objective of reaching a broad audience and publicizing the 

project. 

States have the option of creating a template verbiage and layout to provide to borrowers, 

particularly small er or disadvantaged communities. This could reduce the burden on small 

municipalities which may or may not have the staffing capacity to meet signage requirements on 

their own. 

States selecting projects that will implement this requirement through use of posters or brochures 

should ensure the following are included: 

• Name of facility, project and community 

• State SRF administering the program 

• Project is wholly or partially funded with EPA funding 

• Brief description of project 

• Brief description of the water quality benefits the project will achieve 

Implementation Option: Newsletter, Periodical or Press Release 

For communities where there is no suitable public space or where advertisement through signage 

is unlikely to reach community members effectively, projects can be advertised in a community 

newsletter or similar periodical. States can use guidelines from their standard public notice 

practices. For new construction, if a groundbreaking ceremony is to be held. an announcement 

could publicize or accompany publicity for this event. 

In some cases. it may be appropriate for the state agency to issue a fonnal press release 

announcing construction of a new facility. Distributing a single prepared statement concisely 

summarizing the project purpose and the joint funding from EPA and state resources can reach a 

wide audience as the statement goes through multiple news outlets. Programs should consider 

whether or not this is an option that is likely to effectively publicize the CWSRF or DWSRF 

program in local news sources. 

If a recipient decides on a public or media event to publi cize the accomplishment of significant 

events rel ated to construction as a result of EP 1\ support, EPA must be provided with at least a 

ten working day notice of the event and provided the opportunity to attend and participate in the 

event. 

States selecting projects that wi II implement this requirement through use of a newsletter, 

peri odical or press release should ensure the fo llowing are included: 

• Name of facility. project and community 

• State SRF administering the program 

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• Project is wholly or partially funded with EPA funding 

• Brief description of the project 

• Brief listing of water quality benefits to be achieved 

Implementation Option: Insert or Pamphlet in Water/Sewer Bill 

Utilities can consider including a single-page insert within water and sewer bills that are mailed 

to residents and users in the area. This approach would effectively publicize the project to those 

individuals directly benefitting from the project. The flyer or insert could emphasize the interest 

rate and financial savings that the community achieved by taking advantage of SRF funds as well 

as the environmental and public health benefits to the community. 

States selecting projects that will implement this requirement through use of an insert or 

pamphlet in water/sewer bill should ensure the foll owing are included: 

• Name of facility. project and community 

• State SRF administering the program 

• Project is wholly or partially funded with EPA funding 

• Brief description of the project 

• Brief listing of water quality benefits to be achi eved 

Implementation Option: Online & Social Media Publicity 

Many communities are increasingly finding that the online forum is the most cost-effective 

approach to publicizing their SRF programs and reaching a broad audience of stakeholders. 

Online "signage .. should follow the minimum in(ormation guidelines above and may appear on 

the town, community or facili ty website if available. In some cases, communities may be active 

on social media sites such as Faccbook or Twitter. These can be used as an opportunity for 

publicizing projects and information about how SRF funds are being used in the community. 

These online announcements/notices may be appropriate for settings where physical signage 

would not be visible to a wide audience. They can be a more cost-effective option than 

traditional signs or publicity in print media outlets. This option may be most useful where the 

community's website is a well-recognized source of information for its residents. 

In the case of some projects, such as nonpoint source or sponsorship projects. there might be 

additional opportunities for online publicity through partner agencies or organi zations. This 

could take place either o n the organization· s website or again through socia l media outlets. 

States selecting projects that will implement this requirement through use of online & social 

media publicity should ensure the following are included: 

• Name of facility. project and community 

• State SRF administering the program 

• Project was wholly or partially funded with EPA funding 

• Brief description of the project 

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• Brief listing of water quality benetits to be achieved 

Suggested Language for Alternate Options 

For any of the alternate implementation options listed above. SRF programs have discretion to 

structure their signage as they see appropriate. The language below is offered as an option for 

use in posters, pamphlets. brochures, press releases, or online materials. States may consider 

using the fo llowing: 

"Construction of upgrades and improvements to the [Name of Facility. Project Location. 

or WWTP] were financed by the [Clean Water/Drinking Water] State Revolving Fund. 

The fCWSRF/DWSRF] program is admi nistered by lState Agency] with joint funding 

from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and [State Name]. This project will 

(description of project) and will provide water quality benefits [details specifying 

particular benefits] for community residents and businesses in and near (name oftovvn. 

city. and/or water body or watershed to benefit from project.] [CWSRF/OWSRF) 

programs operate around the country to provide states and communities the resources 

necessary to maintain and improve the infrastructure that protects our valuable water 

resources nationwide. " 

For projects in certain areas. states should consider whether or not it is appropriate to include 

additional details about the projects. Specific benefits, such as reduction ofCSO events, 

lessening of nutrient pollution, reducing contaminant levels or water pumping costs, or 

improvements to a particul ar water body, may be of interest to community residents. In these 

cases, including them would further serve to showcase positive e fTorts financed by the SRF 

programs. Additionally, for projects with components that meet Green Project Reserve (GPR) 

criteria. States may elect to detail these particular improvements. For example. the state could 

include quantitative improvements in energy efficiency or water conservation achieved by 

project upgrades. Tfthe proj ect includes green infrastructure components such as rain gardens 

and green roofs that have environmental and aesthetic benefits to the community, these can be 

described briefly as well. Again. this additional information can be included at the discretion of 

the state when it is appropriate, given the project type, location. and the type of signage or 

publicity effort selected. 

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