(a) State agencies may apply for grants under sections 106, 205(j) and 205(g) to carry out water quality planning and management activities. Interstate agencies may apply for grants under section 106 to carry out water quality planning and management activities. Local or regional planning organizations may request 106 and 205(j) funds from a State for planning and management activities. Grant administrative requirements for these funds appear in 40 CFR parts 25, 29, 30, 33 and 35, subparts A and J.
(b) Grants under section 106 may be used to fund a wide range of activities, including but not limited to assessments of water quality, revision of water quality standards (WQS), development of alternative approaches to control pollution, implementation and enforcement of control measures and development or implementation of ground water programs. Grants under section 205(j) may be used to fund water quality management (WQM) planning activities but may not be used to fund implementation of control measures (see part 35, subpart A). Section 205(g) funds are used primarily to manage the wastewater treatment works construction grants program pursuant to the provisions of 40 CFR part 35, subpart J. A State may also use part of the 205(g) funds to administer approved permit programs under sections 402 and 404, to administer a statewide waste treatment management program under section 208(b)(4) and to manage waste treatment construction grants for small communities.
(c) Grant work programs for water quality planning and management shall describe geographic and functional priorities for use of grant funds in a manner which will facilitate EPA review of the grant application and subsequent evaluation of work accomplished with the grant funds. A State's 305(b) Report, WQM plan and other water quality assessments shall identify the State's priority water quality problems and areas. The WQM plan shall contain an analysis of alternative control measures and recommendations to control specific problems. Work programs shall specify the activities to be carried out during the period of the grant; the cost of specific activities; the outputs, for example, permits issued, intensive surveys, wasteload allocations, to be produced by each activity; and where applicable, schedules indicating when activities are to be completed.
(d) State work programs under sections 106, 205(j) and 205(g) shall be coordinated in a manner which indicates the funding from these grants dedicated to major functions, such as permitting, enforcement, monitoring, planning and standards, nonpoint source implementation, management of construction grants, operation and maintenance of treatment works, ground-water, emergency response and program management. States shall also describe how the activities funded by these grants are used in a coordinated manner to address the priority water quality problems identified in the State's water quality assessment under section 305(b).
(e) EPA, States, areawide agencies, interstate agencies, local and Regional governments, and designated management agencies (DMAs) are joint participants in the water pollution control program. States may enter into contractual arrangements or intergovernmental agreements with other agencies concerning the performance of water quality planning and management tasks. Such arrangements shall reflect the capabilities of the respective agencies and shall efficiently utilize available funds and funding eligibilities to meet Federal requirements commensurate with State and local priorities. State work programs under section 205(j) shall be developed jointly with local, Regional and other comprehensive planning organizations.