The SRF Process
- The applicant (sponsor) must submit a CWSRF Project Questionnaire (for wastewater projects) or a DWSRF Project Questionnaire (for drinking water projects) to the SRF Section within DHEC. To be sure your project is fundable, you may want to contact us before submitting a Project Questionnaire.
- If the project is eligible for funding, it will be ranked in accordance with the Integrated Priority Ranking System and placed on the State's Comprehensive Priority List. If a project remains on the Comprehensive Priority List for 3 years and is not ready to proceed, an updated Project Questionnaire (PQ) will be requested.
- Every year, DHEC will develop an Intended Use Plan that identifies projects that are ready to proceed and expected to receive loans for the upcoming fiscal year (July 1- June 30). At this point, DHEC and the OLG will contact the sponsor to discuss the permitting and loan application requirements.
- The next step in the permitting process is submittal of a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER). Please refer to either the DWSRF PER Guidance Document or the CWSRF PER Guidance Document.
FYI... Before the PER can be approved, DHEC will either issue a finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) that includes a 30-day public notice period or DHEC will issue a Categorical Exclusion (CE) for the project.
- Once the PER has received approval, a construction permit application must be submitted. After the project is reviewed and all requirements have been met, a construction permit will be issued for the project.
SRF staff must attend the preconstruction conference. This allows staff to share important information on managing an SRF project
- Once you are ready to advertise for bids please refer to one of our three Guides for Methods of Bidding.
- Guide to Traditional SRF Bidding
- Guide to the SRF Request for Proposals (RFP)
- Guide to the SRF Prequalification of Construction Bidders (RFQ)
A Project Construction Summary (DHEC Form 3589) must also be submitted during this process. Depending on the project, there may be several Federal Requirements that need to be met. Please refer to the Federal Requirements for the SRF Program Guidance Package for more detailed information.
- The Construction Contracts Guidance Package provides information on the preconstruction conference and disbursement information.
To be sure everything runs smoothly, please refer to the following contacts:
Wayne Shealy (803) 898-4302
DHEC contact for any questions related to the SRF process.
Trish Comp (803) 737-3808
Office of Local Government (OLG) contact for any financial questions related to SRF process.
Mark Noble (803) 898-3821
Any questions related to SRF draw requests for Principal Forgiveness.