grants for basic water and sewer facilities

grants for basic water and sewer facilities Sec. 702. (a) The Housing and Home Finance Administrator (hereinafter in this title referred to as the “Administrator”) is authorized to make grants to local public bodies and agencies to finance specific projects for basic public water facilities (including works for the storage, treatment, purification, and distribution of water), and for basic public sewer facilities (other than “treatment works” as defined in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act): Provided, That no grant shall be made under this section for any sewer facilities unless the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare certifies to the Administrator that any waste material carried by such facilities will be adequately treated before it is discharged into any public waterway so as to meet applicable Federal, State, interstate, or local water quality standards. (b) The amount of any grant made under the authority of this section shall not exceed 50 per centum of the development cost of the project: Provided, That in the case of a community having a population of less than ten thousand, according to the most recent decennial census, which is situated within a metropolitan area, the Administrator may increase the amount of a grant for a basic public sewer facility assisted under this section to not more than 90 per centum of the development cost of such facility, if the community is unable to finance the construction of such facility without the increased grant authorized under this subsection, and if in such community (1) there does not exist a public or other adequate sewer facility which selves a substantial portion of the inhabitants of the community, and (2) the rate of unemployment is, and has been continuously for the preceding calendar year, 100 per centum above the national average: And provided further, That the limitations and restrictions contained in subsection (c) of this section shall not be applicable to any community applying tor an increased grant under this subsection. (c) No grant shall be made under this section in connection with any project unless the Administrator determines that the project is necessary to provide adequate water or sewer facilities for, and will contribute to the improvement of the health or living standards of, the people in the community to be served, and that the project is (1) designed so that an adequate capacity will be available to serve the reasonably foreseeable growth needs of the area; (2) consistent with a program meeting criteria, established by the Administrator, for a unified or officially coordinated areawide water or sewer facilities system as part of the comprehensively planned development of the area, except that prior to July 1, 1968, grants may, in the discretion of the Administrator, be made under this section when such a program for an areawide water and sewer facilities system is under active preparation, although not yet completed, if the facility or facilities for which assistance is sought can reasonably be expected to be required as a part of such program, and there is urgent need for the facility or facilities; and (3) necessary to orderly community development.