ARPA Support Program Eligibility Requirements

Grant awards now available

The Planning and Public Works Department received 28 total applications for the ARPA Sewer and Water Utilities Infrastructure Grant Program’s Partnership and Support programs.  Pierce County appreciates all the municipalities for their interest in the grant program and for their time and effort in preparing their applications. Visit the main grant program webpage for more details. 


The following eligibility criteria applies to those applying for the ARPA Sewer and Water Utility Infrastructure Grant Program's Support Program.

Eligible Applicants

Local governments: Any unit of local or tribal government in Pierce County, incorporated or unincorporated. 

Water system owners or operators: Must be classified as Group A by the Washington State Department of Health and must be owned by a local government, a nonprofit organization, or an organization that is proportionately and solely owned by its customers in Pierce County. 

Eligible organizations must serve residents of a municipality with 3,500 or fewer residents.

Eligible Projects

All projects must be located within the boundaries of Pierce County.

Treatment works: Projects must be by or for a local government for purposes of improving any device or system used in the storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature, or any other method or system for preventing, abating, reducing, storing, treating, separating, or disposing of municipal waste, including collection and conveyance. 

Drinking water system: Projects must be by or for a local government, nonprofit, or co-op for the purpose of treatment, transmission and distribution, storage of drinking water, or new, additional, or alternative sources of drinking water.

Projects may include:

  • The construction of publicly-owned treatment works (i.e., new infrastructure);
  • The construction of publicly-owned or privately-owned water system infrastructure (i.e., new infrastructure); or
  • The upgrade, repair, replacement, rehabilitation, or preservation of existing infrastructure.

Ineligible Uses

Federal ARPA funds may not be used for the following:

  • Federally owned public water systems;
  • For-profit noncommunity water systems;
  • The acquisition of water rights, laboratory fees for routine compliance monitoring, and operation and maintenance expenses;
  • To purchase a water system;
  • To purchase all or substantially all of the assets of a water system;
  • To create new community or regional water system;
  • To offset a reduction in net tax revenue;
  • To make deposits into pension funds;
  • For debt service or replenishing financial reserves;
  • For satisfaction of settlements and judgements;
  • For any project that conflicts with or contravenes the purpose of ARPA or CDC COVID-19 mitigation practices; or
  • In any way that is in violation of the Award Terms and Conditions or conflict of interest requirements under the uniform guidance.