§340E-36 Drinking water fund; uses and limitations; types of assistance. (a) Moneys in the drinking water fund may be used only as allowed and limited by sections 1452(a)(2) and (3), 1452(d), and 1452(k)(1) and (2) of the Federal Act and this part. Such uses include loans and other financial assistance for facilitating compliance with applicable national primary drinking water regulations or otherwise significantly furthering the health protection objectives of the Federal Act.
(b) Moneys in the drinking water fund may be used only:
(1) To provide, make, and condition loans;
(2) To buy or refinance debt obligations of a municipality, as defined by the Federal Act, at or below market interest rates if the debt obligation is incurred after July 1, 1993;
(3) To guarantee or purchase or provide insurance for a public water system obligation if such action would improve credit market access or reduce interest rates applicable to the obligation;
(4) As a source of revenue or security for the payment of principal and interest on revenue or general obligation bonds issued by the State if the proceeds of the sale of the bonds will be deposited into the drinking water fund;
(5) To earn interest on the amounts deposited into the drinking water fund; and
(6) To provide interest rate subsidies by depositing revolving fund moneys into interest bearing accounts in participating financial institutions that issue loans for the implementation of eligible projects under section 340E-35.
(c) Five per cent of the moneys in the drinking water fund shall be set aside for use in the geographic areas of the State serviced by water catchment systems for the purposes identified in subsection (b); provided, if no such area qualifies for use of the moneys in the drinking water fund, the moneys shall no longer be set aside and revert back as unrestricted moneys to the fund. [L 1997, c 218, pt of §2; am L 2002, c 132, §2]