

The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation is pleased to announce that the proposed regulatory changes to the project scoring criteria for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund have been adopted. The changes modernize the scoring system used to prioritize sewer and wastewater projects for low-cost funding. This action will help communities address New York’s most pressing water infrastructure needs.
The revised criteria are available on EFC’s website. The revised criteria will be used for all projects listed in the upcoming Intended Use Plan for Federal Fiscal Year 2026. Municipalities must submit their listing forms or project updates through EFC’s Project Listing and Update System (PLUS) no later than May 30 to be included in the 2026 IUP.
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund provides financing at below-market rates for eligible projects, empowering communities to undertake critical sewer and wastewater projects at a much lower cost than traditional financing. Eligible projects may qualify for additional financial benefits including grants and interest-free financing. EFC annually publishes an Intended Use Plan to list all project funding requests. Each project is assigned a score based on various factors including its water quality benefit, the project’s impact to the community, and financial need. EFC allocates funds to priority projects based on the project’s score.
The changes to the scoring system seek to further incentivize municipalities to address the following:
- Enhancing resiliency, mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events, and advancing the state’s goal of strengthening water infrastructure and protecting New Yorkers from flooding and other impacts of extreme weather.
- Strengthening cybersecurity, addressing the urgent need to safeguard the water sector’s IT infrastructure from increased cyber threats that have the potential to disrupt critical services and impose significant costs on affected communities.
- Adopting asset management plans, a process that supports effective management of infrastructure investments including defined procedures to inventory, assess, and track infrastructure throughout its lifecycle, improving its longevity, and supporting municipal planning.
- Utilizing green infrastructure or enhancing water or energy efficiency as part of the project to reduce the energy impact of wastewater facilities.
EFC released the proposed criteria for public comment in November, hosted a webinar in December, and held a public hearing in February. The new regulatory scoring criteria were adopted with no changes to what was proposed.
Any community that needs assistance with their water infrastructure project, including listing their project for funding, is encouraged to contact EFC.