§ 300j-3. Special project grants and guaranteed loans
(a)
Special study and demonstration project grants
The Administrator may make grants to any person for the purposes of—
(1)
assisting in the development and demonstration (including construction) of any project which will demonstrate a new or improved method, approach, or technology, for providing a dependably safe supply of drinking water to the public; and
(2)
assisting in the development and demonstration (including construction) of any project which will investigate and demonstrate health implications involved in the reclamation, recycling, and reuse of waste waters for drinking and the processes and methods for the preparation of safe and acceptable drinking water.
(b)
Limitations
Grants made by the Administrator under this section shall be subject to the following limitations:
(1)
Grants under this section shall not exceed 662/3 per centum of the total cost of construction of any facility and 75 per centum of any other costs, as determined by the Administrator.
(2)
Grants under this section shall not be made for any project involving the construction or modification of any facilities for any public water system in a State unless such project has been approved by the State agency charged with the responsibility for safety of drinking water (or if there is no such agency in a State, by the State health authority).
(3)
Grants under this section shall not be made for any project unless the Administrator determines, after consulting the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, that such project will serve a useful purpose relating to the development and demonstration of new or improved techniques, methods, or technologies for the provision of safe water to the public for drinking.
(c)
Authorization of appropriations
For the purposes of making grants under subsections (a) and (b) of this section there are authorized to be appropriated $7,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975; and $7,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1976; and $10,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1977.
(d)
Loan guarantees to public water systems; conditions; indebtedness limitation; regulations
The Administrator during the fiscal years ending June 30, 1975, and June 30, 1976, shall carry out a program of guaranteeing loans made by private lenders to small public water systems for the purpose of enabling such systems to meet national primary drinking water regulations prescribed under section
300g–1 of this title. No such guarantee may be made with respect to a system unless
(1)
such system cannot reasonably obtain financial assistance necessary to comply with such regulations from any other source, and
(2)
the Administrator determines that any facilities constructed with a loan guaranteed under this subsection is not likely to be made obsolete by subsequent changes in primary regulations. The aggregate amount of indebtedness guaranteed with respect to any system may not exceed $50,000. The aggregate amount of indebtedness guaranteed under this subsection may not exceed $50,000,000. The Administrator shall prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection.