Have questions? Contact me!
Ryan Corbett, Water Resources Manager
Wastewater Technical Assistance Program
EMAIL: rcorbett@hudsonvalleyrc.org
PHONE: 845-564-4075
Points Page: Understanding CWSRF Scoring
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. Each year, the Scoring Criteria may be amended to better meet the needs of water quality improvements for New York State. This page breaks down the scoring criteria to be used to scoring projects during the Federal Fiscal Year 2026 and provides municipalities with a deeper insight into how their project may score, how the project accrued points, and more. The 2026 Scoring Criteria further incentivizes municipalities to address the following:
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- Enhancing resiliency
- Strengthening cybersecurity
- Adopting asset management plans
- Utilizing green infrastructure or enhancing water or energy efficiency
2026 Scoring Criteria Breakdown
In order to allocate funding to wastewater projects that will result in the greatest water quality improvement, the EFC first divides projects into categories based on municipal population and project type, allowing projects of similar scope to compete for funding.
Project Categories
Category A Projects serving a municipal population of 3,500 or less
Category B Projects serving a municipal population of 3,501 through 2,000,000
Category C Projects serving a municipal population of more than 2,000,000
Category D Projects eligible for interest-free financing in accordance with the Hardship Policy
Category EC IIJA Emerging Contaminants Additional Subsidy projects
Category G Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP) projects that meet EPA's Green Project Reserve criteria
The EFC then uses the Scoring Criteria to assign priority points to each project. The Scoring Criteria is comprised of six main sections, each with a designated value of points for qualifying factors. Understanding how a project may score can allow a municipality to take steps to augment their scores prior to application.
Scoring Criteria Categories
Maximum Point Potential
A Existing Pollutants
B Water Quality
C Consistency with Management Plan
D Project Need
E Financial Need (municipal projects only)
F Resiliency
G Tie Breaking
A 50 points
B 24 points
C 15 points
D 25 points
E 10 points
F 10 points
G No points for this section
To better understand and self assess your project's point scoring potential, each section below provides brief summaries of required elements per Scoring Criteria Category, key questions, and links to data sources.
A. Existing Pollutants
EFC awards points to projects based on environmental impact on receiving waterbody based on DEC assessment. This section of the Scoring Criteria contains the largest point earning potential.
Key Questions
- Has your receiving waterbody been assessed?
- What is the current assessment status of your receiving waterbody?
- Is your waterbody on the List of Impaired Waters?
B. Water Quality
Points awarded are the product of two factors: Classification points factor (CPF) - the stream classification of the receiving waterbody, and the Assessment Status (AS) - based on the DEC best use assessment of the receiving water body. Total points in this section are calculated by multiplying CPF and AS points.
Key Questions
- What is the classification of your receiving waterbody?
- What is the current assessment status of your receiving waterbody (from Section A)?
C. Consistency with Managment Plan
Points are awarded based on expected outcomes identified in department-developed plans such as the Clean Water Act (sections 303, 319, or 320), reports funded through a water program or department action agenda, or with the State Nonpoint Source Management Plan or Open Space Conservation Plan.
Key Questions
- Is the key water quality problem faced by your municipality identified in a department-developed or Clean Water Plan?
- (If applicable) Is your land acquisition project included as a priority in the most recent Sate Open Space Conservation Plan?
D. Project Need
Points are allocated based largely on corrections required to mitigation (SPDES) permit violations. Additional points available for a project that includes assets identified in the capital improvement plan of a final Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) asset management program that was developed in accordance with the POTW Asset Management Guide.
Key Questions
- What is required under your SPDES permit?
- What is the history and severity of violations of your WWTP?
E. Financial Need
Available for municipal projects only, points are awarded to projects that receive points in sections A, B, and D, and have a Median Household Income (MHI) below statewide MHI based on data from the United States Census Bureau.
Key Questions
- What is the MHI of your municipality?
- Is your community designated as disadvantaged by New York State?
F. Resiliency
Points are awarded in this section for projects that receive points in Sections A, B, or D and project that addresses resiliency and climate adaptation, mitigation, or cybersecurity enhancement, or a project that includes green infrastructure, or water or energy efficiency at the POTW.
Key Questions
- Can these initiatives be added to a project to help us get more points?
G. Tie Breaking
No additional points are awarded in this section. In the event of project receiving a tie score, a tie break is used to determine priority ranking for the Intended Use Plan.
For municipal projects, in the event of equal total scores, preference shall be given: first to
the project having the highest Existing Pollutant Criterion score; then, if not resolved, to the
project receiving the highest Water Quality Criterion score; and finally, if not resolved, to the
project serving the greatest population
Understanding the Priority Water Bodies List
The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to assess and report on the quality of their waters, every two years. Water quality assessment under Section 305(b) is the assessment of all of the waters in the state and whether or not they are able to support their best use(s) in accordance with the state’s adopted water quality standards. Waters that do not support their best use(s) are reported to EPA in accordance with CWA Section 303(d) and are prioritized for the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).
To assess a waterbody, DEC considers all available water quality data meeting state requirements. New York has established a data solicitation period to assemble all available water quality data. Starting in May and running through September** of every odd year, the Division of Water solicits the public for data that can be used to update the WIPWL. The data solicitation is announced weekly in the DEC Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB) and MakingWaves. Water quality data submitted to DEC for use in updating assessment must meet the data requirements described in the Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM).
**This time period is not necessarily guaranteed. Must watch for DEC announcements.
2025 Data Solicitation: Supporting the 303(d) and 350(b) Integrated Report
Video playback currently unavailable.
Webinar will be posted once available on DEC website.
Timestamps (Duration 26:14)
0:00 Introduction
1:58 Webinar Objectives
2.35 Clean Water Act Sections 303(d) and 305(d)
4:12 What is an Assessment?
6:25 Data Requirements
7:25 Data Quality and Minimum Representativeness Requirements
9:20 Data Solicitation Process
15:38 What does DEC do with your data
16:56 Resources and links
Summary:
Posted: 2025
This webinar provides an overview of the Clean Water Act Sections 303(d) & 305(b) and an overview of the data quality requirements of water quality data used to update the DEC Waterbody Inventory and Priority Waterbodies List. The webinar also describes the data submittal process.