[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5970459,"mediaKeyId","5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3","parentId",5808754,"title","DEQ and Public Finance Authority summarize Clean Water SRF lending, loan forgiveness and multi‑agency coordination","audioSeconds",1211,"startMs",13021000,"endMs",14232000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3&start=13021&end=14232","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3/thumbnail_13021000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5970459/North-Dakota/DEQ-and-Public-Finance-Authority-summarize-Clean-Water-SRF-lending-loan-forgiveness-and-multiagency-coordination","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5970459-72ff581676ebbbdd81fc8c3ab0fd50ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450698&Signature=kPwGNi34NiFD7mc5G2iCqlD7tmRBy9E1EzMWBFPb0HOOoq8H1Oe4WmvWlEyPd2ByFmPf4gyl-DHJBNOzJwuOGoPXXwxgJshnnPqQSrakIT5-KULs3AtmJWt6~Cwb7btF4zeOW-whC9AIm1o~W0gzlnCFNrdhpThkK~dL3ubMKYka7uLtpeXkMcGoSr7IggaDQRCS2tHIvnn2r~xKQ-CXhhPVWD5eGs5ymJEZr1ugJhUxsQHMaykwfu03efn7DsMtCVWlZgaTgjA9zQW3~vocKJfqYXJc-rZB-Ph4ANc0dQ4931CIrLavIwUNKvg0iAkttiv4NTMk71NMPjROOTeYQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","article","Elizabeth Tokash Duran, Clean Water State Revolving Fund program manager at the Department of Environmental Quality, and Diane Ament, director of the Public Finance Authority, briefed the committee on SRF operations, loan forgiveness and the interagency application portal used to coordinate funding.

Duran said the Clean Water SRF and the Drinking Water SRF operate as revolving loan funds, using federal capitalization grants, state bonding as match and loan repayments from borrowers to sustain lending. She said the program has provided more than $1 billion in project assistance since the program began in 1989. Loan terms are typically up to 30 years and the effective interest rate for SRF loans is currently about 2 percent.

Duran described loan forgiveness (treated operationally like grants) as constrained by available federal capitalization grants. She said loan forgiveness can be applied at levels of up to 75 percent for eligible recipients, and the DEQ limits total combined grants and loan forgiveness to 90 percent of a project where multiple grant sources are present. She also explained that the SRF programs prioritize projects through a published project priority list and that eligible projects include wastewater, stormwater, landfills and some water‑efficiency improvements (for example, meters). She emphasized that wastewater grant funding is limited and that the SRF loan program is the primary source for eligible wastewater projects that have demonstrated ability to repay.

Diane Ament of the Public Finance Authority explained the authority’s role: the PFA issues bonds to leverage federal capitalization grants so the programs can fund a greater volume of projects than grant dollars alone would allow. She said PFA issued $150 million in bonds in 2024 to finance the Clean Water SRF loan program and argued the approach has allowed the state to deliver significantly more assistance without a direct state appropriation to the SRF. Duran and Ament emphasized coordination: the FIND application portal shares project applications among DEQ, DWR, BND and PFA so agencies can assemble the best combined funding package for an applicant and avoid duplication of offers.

Duran provided examples of recent loan forgiveness and co‑funding: in 2023–24 the Clean Water SRF provided loan forgiveness totals and other grants to a small number of projects (sample years cited), but she cautioned that those amounts are limited and cannot be assumed available for all applicants. Committee members asked about lead service line replacement and program prioritization; Duran said lead‑line work is handled under the Drinking Water SRF, which has seen substantial federal investments in recent years.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Water Topics Overview Committee Sep 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","DEQ and the Public Finance Authority told the committee the Clean Water State Revolving Fund uses bond leverage, federal capitalization grants and loan repayments to finance wastewater and related projects and that loan forgiveness is available but limited by federal caps.","taxTitle","Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28306,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5970461,"Department of Water Resources reports heavy data gains, project updates and budget pressures",5004,3925000,8929000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3&start=3925&end=8929","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3/thumbnail_3925000.jpg","/articles/5970461/North-Dakota/Department-of-Water-Resources-reports-heavy-data-gains-project-updates-and-budget-pressures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5970461-bbecc22514ba7e271d5abf476fb0aca1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450698&Signature=Xl2DXPP7D1D4K-GCK-J-89JXre3J0wLugU4ipt7PNHT~K-bSc2TKO0run6Y2RTnW9ecXe~jkVr8JfPXkhnFS0Fvb3BP7z5bawoe4ehNK4KeIvejtG5MxD06akP5GW0voLhCZnPqBT4Tl1gu7VcRyZBpq8ayEO8l2bOyDKsqKXHr7VT6EEAv0GcpMFKMxVmFM~iE3pVoyu1YVLfgUMcsGXnv~zG-1p6FfZjhCYVL9Z5WKI0dYqKfOoDBXobJG8kgEx1bZHObWnZM~clSSrPFkBBW8W-3~sGiHKDQziDlzb-ClbT68VI~f0wT0mdQPpmYQ5hoi-ApL~hwQ9tGbHTvnog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Reese Hawes, director of the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, told the committee the department has invested in lower‑cost remote monitoring and has dramatically increased the volume and frequency of water‑resource data available to the state.

Hawes described an in‑house remote sensing unit called a \"presence\" unit (pushing remote sensors) that can collect data every 15 minutes. He said the units cost roughly $477 each for the in‑house design versus about $2,000 for a comparable commercial product; DWR has deployed about 675 units across the state and has collected more than 26 million data points since 2018. \"In the last year alone, we've collected more data than the previous 80 years combined,\" Hawes said.

Hawes provided project updates and operational constraints. He said the Devil’s Lake outlets operated this season but were constrained by water‑quality limits: \"We started off with a low snow pack ... it's looking like we won't be able to operate them again until next season,\" he said, explaining that high naturally occurring sulfates in Devil’s Lake force coordination with the Department of Environmental Quality and limits on discharge to the Cheyenne River.

On the Northwest Area Water Supply Project, Hawes said work continues: Snake Creek Pumping Plant upgrades are on a near‑term schedule and the biota water treatment plant needed for cross‑divide transfers is expected to begin phase‑1 operations in summer 2026, with a permanent intake planned for 2027. He said the NAS (Northwest Area Supply) biota treatment plant encountered a manufacturing defect in a filter underdrain; DWR has ordered removal and replacement while a third‑party engineer evaluates responsibility. Hawes said the expected cost for removal/replacement would be roughly $1.0–$1.2 million, and the manufacturer has agreed to cover costs if a third‑party engineer concurs that replacement is required.

Hawes walked the committee through the department’s 14‑year inventory of water needs, which totaled about $3.4 billion in projects eligible for State Water Commission cost share under current policy. He said that, given forecasts for oil extraction tax revenues and the effect of stripper‑well exemptions, the department expects a $1.3–$1.6 billion shortfall relative to identified needs. To manage cash flow and project delivery, the legislature authorized a $210 million line of credit for the department; Hawes described the policy as an \"overdraft privilege\" that helps match long project timelines and the department’s reimbursement model.

Hawes described two consultant studies the department has contracted: a regional water systems governance and finance study and a comprehensive cost‑share study. Deloitte was selected as the consultant on both studies; the governance and finance scope is priced at roughly $420,000, with draft reports due to the committee in March 2026. Hawes said the cost‑share engagement will produce a financial model the state can use to analyze future cost‑share policy decisions; both studies are intended to inform long‑term prioritization and program sustainability.

Hawes also explained how the State Water Commission is adjusting cost‑share policy in response to revenue forecasts and project demand, and he described mitigation efforts to reduce carryover and speed project delivery, including a two‑tier preconstruction/construction approval process.","The Department of Water Resources reported a rapid expansion of automated data collection, updates on major regional water projects, limits on Devil's Lake outlet operation because of sulfate levels, and cash‑management changes intended to stretch resources amid a multibillion‑dollar project inventory.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5970464,"Legislative staff and Bank of North Dakota outline state water funding and loan programs",11946,1259000,13205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3&start=1259&end=13205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3/thumbnail_1259000.jpg","/articles/5970464/North-Dakota/Legislative-staff-and-Bank-of-North-Dakota-outline-state-water-funding-and-loan-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5970464-a85ec202df86d495416ff4a51abb8126/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450698&Signature=odSmYFYv7-1pusAb3GoPffweRCHCppYlha~7uen5m6xOumAonoz4hv60xR-Y~yDkNJOSwvGueY-MIo0wcXzk8D85Nd3wzMRBHB-dL6gDFyryegrYQ6CEtLrWjwR1abm4rGvmuZyJqZ6xPVA5ez6ga75xEeoKZD0aGmYJZO93ULMPAQQyUKLWSxcxJckW1kULNQcspO1Bzk9wTX5i40zsupo0t5UdTSZGbz0a~JuA52TBH0TJPeAALQ~haxqV4oad14q-5DPMnxhXBO~o~mG66XfBtyhP84f62WadDvIgdqb7OoTsq1cU9B5XTOHBPsDQSA-zrne9p-QvkxNyVSMUYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legislative staff and the Bank of North Dakota briefed the Water Topics Overview Committee on the state’s principal funding sources for water projects and the limits those sources impose on future investment.

Levi, Legislative Council staff, presented a background memorandum that summarized the principal funds and loan programs available for water projects. He said the Resources Trust Fund receives 20% of the oil extraction tax and that a 0.5% additional allocation to the Resources Trust Fund was added in past legislation to make up earlier shortfalls. Levi said estimated Resources Trust Fund revenue for the 2025–27 biennium was about $880,200,000 and estimated expenditures and transfers were about $878,000,000, leaving an estimated balance of about $1,800,000 at the end of the biennium. He outlined several other state loan and grant sources, including the infrastructure revolving loan fund, the legacy infrastructure loan fund, and the Water Infrastructure Revolving Loan Fund administered through the Bank of North Dakota, plus federal Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds administered jointly by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Public Finance Authority.

Kylie Merkel of the Bank of North Dakota described the bank‑administered loan programs in practical detail. The infrastructure revolving loan fund and legacy infrastructure loan fund finance essential political‑subdivision infrastructure with terms up to 30 years and a statutory maximum interest rate of 2 percent; maximum outstanding loans per applicant are limited (statutory caps were cited as $20,000,000 per applicant for some funds and up to $40,000,000 outstanding under other legacy rules). Kylie said the Bank of North Dakota has moved to application rounds when appropriations have not replenished the funds and that an application round in June produced 19 applications totaling about $61,000,000; the bank allocated $26,000,000 to 11 projects and plans another application round in November for $20–25,000,000 in new loans. She said BND currently administers about $200,000,000 in combined outstanding loans across these funds.

Kylie explained the Water Infrastructure Revolving Loan Fund was formed from prior loan funds in 2021 and carries a mix of terms — many earlier loans carry 40‑year terms because they originated under an older program. She also summarized prioritization criteria the bank uses when funds are oversubscribed: community impact, health and safety, affordability metrics, readiness to proceed and matching grant funds.

Levi and Kylie both noted that program structures matter when a project seeks the best funding package. Levi described FIND (Financing for Infrastructure in North Dakota), a multi‑agency portal used to coordinate applications across state agencies and avoid competing grants or loans for the same dollars. Levi also summarized smaller funds and one‑time transfers commonly used for water projects, including the Water Project Stabilization Fund and a municipal infrastructure fund. Analysts and agency staff warned that a long list of identified needs — DWR’s 14‑year inventory estimated eligible projects at roughly $3.4 billion — outstrips likely extraction‑tax revenue in the 2025‑27 biennium and beyond unless new revenue sources are identified.","Committee staff and the Bank of North Dakota reviewed the web of funding sources for water projects — from the Resources Trust Fund and new cash‑management tools to multiple loan funds administered by the Bank of North Dakota and federal state revolving funds — and flagged a multibillion‑dollar gap between known needs and likely revenues.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5970467,"Legislative committee reviews expanded duties after 2025 session",320,385000,705000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3&start=385&end=705","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5808754-13f6fc2efcb3bd68e2724760b31ffac3/thumbnail_385000.jpg","/articles/5970467/North-Dakota/Legislative-committee-reviews-expanded-duties-after-2025-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5970467-5b74aca72afbd66adeda0876f27f7871/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450698&Signature=O9bbifb-xy18n7cOwyNW-OWdBf7pZ~wF~RUfhMNKb4B3gdGKL7jvvIC0CemHX2HkPS~Z7TXWpiKIgQyWxk7x-s~hk8yC3-QubX7yxMZ~3T-wrjiHPLdrXRYuQg92Tz3VB-T0bzSmYSih8dRz0svhkJThjFy6OKiznhFhyTjjIgmMZFcA0DTN-gMnNYsRx32Y8UI79~uLDfKT5SD2Ifef~uCfRVUcSeYjjSAzizpxsgaJ1eo-zZklq1T3WMBRlzBBM~dWQO0U2EuRvynyeJjcp6434SMoul6QXzu5xs3pTxsD4qKb2neCfAZVvMn~cqDElrEioxxcVWj7jWD1cs-8Jg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Water Topics Overview Committee met in Bismarck to review statutory rules that govern interim committees and to discuss new duties added by the 2025 legislative session.

Dustin, identified in committee materials as staff supporting the committee, walked members through the committee rules that govern meeting time and remote attendance, roll-call voting, the committee’s authority to prepare bill drafts, limits on committee expansion and subcommittee formation, and the requirement to submit findings and draft bills to Legislative Management in November. He said the rules require that \"a bill that is introduced, must contain a project, must be accompanied by a report from the water topics overview committee,\" adding the committee may need to reconvene during session to produce such reports if a statutorily required report is missing.

Levi, Legislative Council staff, summarized the statutory basis for the committee. He cited Section 54-35-02.7 of the North Dakota Century Code and summarized language in House Bill 1020 and related 2025 bills that expand the committee’s duties. Under the new requirements added in the 2025 session, the committee must receive and review by May 31 in each even‑numbered year any request that will be submitted to the State Water Commission or the next Legislative Assembly for which the state cost-share is estimated at $10,000,000 or more. Levi said the committee must issue a report on each such project and forward that report to the Appropriations Committees of both houses; if a bill is introduced without a committee report, the committee must meet and prepare a report for the Appropriations Committees.

Committee members discussed practical implications: the committee will meet quarterly as required by statute, coordinate with the State Water Commission and Department of Water Resources, and may be asked to review substantial program and project requests. The committee chair noted the expanded duties mean this interim committee is unlikely to simply adjourn sine die and may need to act during session to meet statutory reporting requirements.","The Water Topics Overview Committee reviewed its statutory rules and new responsibilities added by the 2025 legislative session, including a requirement to review major water project requests before they reach the next legislative assembly.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DEQ and Public Finance Authority summarize Clean Water SRF lending, loan forgiveness and multi‑agency coordination

Department of Water Resources reports heavy data gains, project updates and budget pressures

Legislative staff and Bank of North Dakota outline state water funding and loan programs

Legislative committee reviews expanded duties after 2025 session