Opportunity Information: Apply for R15SS00002
Apply for R15SS00002
- The Bureau of Reclamation in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of Preliminary Engineering Reports (PERs) for Selected Connection Plans Associated with the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project (NGWSP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.519 Indian Tribal Water Resources Development, Management, and Protection.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 6, 2014 and posted on Nov 6, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 19, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $499,998.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $499,998.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Federally recognized Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, national Indian organizations, and tribal organizations located in the 17 western States identified in the Act of June 17, 1902, as amended specifically, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity, issued by the Bureau of Reclamation, focuses on funding the development of Preliminary Engineering Reports (PERs) for a set of high-priority water system connection plans tied to the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project (NGWSP). The NGWSP is a major regional water infrastructure effort intended to deliver a reliable municipal, industrial, and domestic water supply to Navajo Nation communities in New Mexico, the City of Gallup (New Mexico), Window Rock and Fort Defiance (Arizona), the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, and part of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. The need is urgent because many of these communities currently depend on groundwater sources that are both shrinking and poor in quality, leaving them unable to meet current demand and projected future needs.
A central issue behind the funding request is that earlier NGWSP planning envisioned certain "turnouts" from the main trunkline, typically described as large storage tanks near the trunkline paired with booster stations. Those features were included in the NGWSP Construction Cost Estimate (CCE), but the estimate did not include the actual pipelines and related facilities needed to connect those turnouts to existing public water systems. In other words, some of the trunkline-adjacent infrastructure was planned and budgeted, but the last-mile (or last-several-miles) connections to where communities actually receive treated water were not fully accounted for in cost estimates.
In response, the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources (NNDWR), working with the NGWSP Project Construction Committee (PCC), developed a prioritized list of "connection plans" that differs from the earlier PR/FEIS concepts. Instead of focusing on the turnout model described in the July 2009 NGWSP Planning Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PR/FEIS), these updated connection plans are built around conveying water from the NGWSP main trunkline directly to the supply points of the nearest Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) public water systems. These connections are described as the lifeblood of the overall project because the trunkline alone does not solve the day-to-day problem unless water can be delivered into operational public water systems that can then distribute it to customers and communities.
The grant funds PERs because, as design details and cost estimates for NGWSP facilities continue to evolve, it is uncertain whether the NGWSP budget (as reflected in the CCE) can absorb the full cost of designing and constructing all desired connection plans. Completing PERs for the highest priority connections is meant to clarify what each connection will actually require, what it will cost, and what alternatives might be viable. The PER format referenced is the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Bulletin 1780-2 approach, which is widely used for water and wastewater infrastructure planning and is also tied to federal financing requirements. PERs are specifically required for applicants seeking funding under USDA's Waste and Water Disposal (WWD) program, under 7 CFR 1780.33(c) and 7 CFR 1780.55. Practically, that means these PERs are not just internal engineering paperwork; they are intended to be finance-ready documents that other state and federal programs recognize when deciding whether to fund final design and construction.
The opportunity explains that the selected connection plans were ranked and chosen using criteria tied to community need and project practicality. These criteria included the number of water haulers (and the share of the community relying on hauled water), the severity of groundwater shortages, the cost per acre-foot of water delivered, and how each connection aligns with construction sequencing. The expected end result is a set of PERs that produce more dependable total cost estimates for each priority connection and provide the technical and financial groundwork needed to pursue additional funding sources to actually build them.
From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, categorized under an environment-related funding activity. The opportunity anticipated a single award with an estimated total funding amount of $499,998 (with an award ceiling of $499,998). There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. It was posted on November 6, 2014, and closed on November 19, 2014, then archived on November 20, 2014. The CFDA listing associated with the program was 15.519, Indian Tribal Water Resources Development, Management, and Protection.
Eligibility was aimed at Indian Country and affiliated institutions in the western United States: federally recognized Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, national Indian organizations, and tribal organizations located within the 17 western states identified in the Act of June 17, 1902 (as amended). Those states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The listed agency contact for access issues was Timothy Wagoner, Grants Officer, at 801-524-3704.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity focused on?
This opportunity, issued by the Bureau of Reclamation, funds the development of Preliminary Engineering Reports (PERs) for a set of high-priority water system connection plans tied to the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project (NGWSP).
What is the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project (NGWSP)?
The NGWSP is a major regional water infrastructure effort intended to deliver a reliable municipal, industrial, and domestic water supply to Navajo Nation communities in New Mexico, the City of Gallup (New Mexico), Window Rock and Fort Defiance (Arizona), the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, and part of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Why is there an urgent need for this work?
Many of the communities served by NGWSP currently depend on groundwater sources that are shrinking and poor in quality. This makes it difficult to meet current demand and projected future needs, which is why advancing practical connection planning is treated as urgent.
What problem is this funding trying to solve?
Earlier NGWSP planning included certain "turnouts" from the main trunkline (often described as large storage tanks near the trunkline paired with booster stations) and those features were included in the NGWSP Construction Cost Estimate (CCE). However, the CCE did not include the additional pipelines and related facilities needed to connect those trunkline-adjacent features to existing public water systems. This opportunity targets planning work for those missing "connection" elements.
What are "connection plans" in this opportunity?
In this context, connection plans are plans to convey water from the NGWSP main trunkline directly to supply points of the nearest Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) public water systems, so that those operational systems can distribute treated water to customers and communities.
How do these connection plans differ from earlier NGWSP concepts?
Earlier concepts described in the July 2009 NGWSP Planning Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PR/FEIS) emphasized a turnout model near the trunkline. The updated, prioritized connection plans developed by the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources (NNDWR) and the NGWSP Project Construction Committee (PCC) focus instead on directly tying the trunkline into the nearest NTUA public water systems.
Why are these connections described as critical to the overall NGWSP?
The opportunity describes the connections as the "lifeblood" of the overall project because the trunkline alone does not solve day-to-day water access needs unless water can be delivered into operating public water systems that can then distribute it to communities.
What exactly is being funded: construction, design, or planning?
This funding is for planning-level engineering deliverables: Preliminary Engineering Reports (PERs) for the highest-priority connection plans. The opportunity information describes these PERs as the groundwork needed to pursue additional funding for final design and construction.
What is a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) for purposes of this grant?
A PER is an engineering planning document intended to clarify what a proposed connection will require, what it will cost, and what alternatives might be viable. In this opportunity, PERs are meant to produce more dependable total cost estimates for each priority connection and support next-step funding decisions.
What PER format or standard is referenced?
The opportunity references the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Bulletin 1780-2 approach for PERs. This format is widely used for water and wastewater infrastructure planning and is tied to federal financing requirements.
How does this PER work relate to USDA water funding requirements?
The opportunity notes that PERs are specifically required for applicants seeking funding under USDA's Waste and Water Disposal (WWD) program, under 7 CFR 1780.33(c) and 7 CFR 1780.55. As a result, the PERs supported here are intended to be finance-ready documents that other state and federal programs can recognize when evaluating funding for final design and construction.
Why fund PERs now instead of moving directly into building the connections?
As NGWSP design details and cost estimates continue to evolve, it is uncertain whether the NGWSP budget reflected in the Construction Cost Estimate (CCE) can absorb the full cost of designing and constructing all desired connection plans. Completing PERs for the highest priority connections is intended to clarify requirements, costs, and feasible alternatives before seeking or committing larger construction funding.
Who developed the prioritized list of connection plans?
The prioritized list was developed by the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources (NNDWR) working with the NGWSP Project Construction Committee (PCC).
How were the selected connection plans ranked and chosen?
The opportunity states that the selected connection plans were ranked using criteria tied to community need and project practicality, including: the number of water haulers (and the share of the community relying on hauled water), the severity of groundwater shortages, the cost per acre-foot of water delivered, and alignment with construction sequencing.
What outcomes are expected from the funded PERs?
The expected end result is a set of PERs that (1) produce more dependable total cost estimates for each priority connection and (2) provide the technical and financial groundwork needed to pursue additional funding sources to actually build the connections.
What agency issued this opportunity?
The opportunity was issued by the Bureau of Reclamation.
What type of award is anticipated?
The opportunity is described as discretionary funding using a cooperative agreement.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated a single award.
What was the total estimated funding amount and award ceiling?
The estimated total funding amount was $499,998, and the award ceiling was also $499,998.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What was the funding activity category?
The opportunity was categorized under an environment-related funding activity.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing associated with the program was 15.519, Indian Tribal Water Resources Development, Management, and Protection.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was aimed at Indian Country and affiliated institutions in the western United States, including: federally recognized Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, national Indian organizations, and tribal organizations located within the 17 western states identified in the Act of June 17, 1902 (as amended).
Which states were included in the eligible 17 western states list?
The listed states were: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on November 6, 2014, and closed on November 19, 2014. It was archived on November 20, 2014.
Who is the listed agency contact for access issues?
The listed agency contact for access issues was Timothy Wagoner, Grants Officer, at 801-524-3704.
Does the information provided specify a requirement to connect to NTUA systems?
The opportunity description emphasizes that the updated connection plans are built around conveying water from the NGWSP main trunkline directly to the supply points of the nearest NTUA public water systems, as opposed to relying on the earlier turnout model described in the PR/FEIS.
Does the information provided say the NGWSP trunkline work is fully funded?
No. The information provided focuses on the uncertainty of whether the NGWSP budget reflected in the Construction Cost Estimate (CCE) can cover the full cost of designing and constructing all desired connection plans, which is part of why PERs are being funded for the highest priorities.
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