Grant Program
The City of Trinidad has recently been awarded two grants (totaling $134,000) to implement an OWTS Management Program. The City applied for these grants in 2001 and 2002, but it has taken this long for the selection process and contract development to be completed. The City actually started work under the grants in July 2004.
Proposition 13 Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Grant Program
The first grant is for a total of $94,000, and comes from a bond act (Prop.
13) approved by California voters in 2000. This grant is administered through
the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and overseen by the North Coast
Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board). This grant is directed
at eliminating nonpoint source pollution (pollution not originating from a discrete
source, including septic systems) in coastal areas. This grant requires modest,
non-state matching funds, which can be covered by the second grant (see below).
The main focus of this grant is to protect near and offshore waters of Trinidad
from potential wastewater pollution; it is results driven. Besides developing
the OWTS Management Program itself, water quality monitoring is a large component
of this grant in order to ensure goals are being met and to assess the program’s
effectiveness. Another major element of this grant program will be to develop
a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will allow the City to assess existing
conditions, manage the program and analyze results.
National Onsite Demonstration Program for Small Communities (Phase
VII)
The second grant, for $40,000, is funded through the West Virginia University’s
National Environmental Services Center (NESC) by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). This grant is part of the NESC’s National Onsite Demonstration
Program (NODP) for Small Communities. This grant requires no match, but can
be used as the matching funds for the first grant. The focus of this grant is
on the process; a demonstration that the type of program Trinidad is implementing
will work effectively for other communities. The emphasis of this grant is on
developing a program that follows protocol, but is specific to the needs of
Trinidad. Another focus of this grant is on public education and public participation.
Trinidad’s website is being developed as a component of this program.