The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has designed this guidance to explain the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program scoring criteria for stormwater projects. This guidance helps with completion of the soon to be released SRF Project Scoring Form and clarifies the eligible activities that can receive points under the scoring categories.
CWSRF applicants must complete the CWSRF Scoring Form and submit it with their CWSRF Project Planning Document (PPD). Applicants must identify which specific categories their project qualifies for on the worksheet and include supporting documentation within the PPD. The more justification that is included in the PPD and worksheet to support the awarded points, the more likely the points will be awarded.
When completing the scoring form, points must only be associated with the work proposed to be financed in the current fiscal year. EGLE staff will review the completed form and make the final decision on points awarded for the project. Applicants will be made aware of EGLE’s scoring decision when the draft project scoring list is released. The project specific detailed scores will be sent to applicants, who will have an opportunity to review their scores with EGLE staff before scores are finalized and published on the project priority list (PPL). Project scores will be reevaluated if the scope changes at any point during that fiscal year.
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This guidance was last updated on: 02/06/2026.
Applicant is a Municipal Separate Stormwater System (MS4) permittee with a compliance issue related to at least one of the following requirements in the MS4 permit:
To receive 5 points, the project must address one or more compliance issue related to any of the above requirements. If an official compliance determination was issued by EGLE MS4 program staff, it must be included along with a detailed explanation identifying the specific MS4 compliance issue that will be addressed in the final PPD.
To receive 5 points, the project must address recurring instances of flooding that cause documented water quality or public health issues. Project remedies can include both green infrastructure (e.g., permeable pavement, bioswales, urban tree trenches, etc.) and gray infrastructure (e.g., storm sewers, detention/retention ponds, infiltration systems, etc.). Sufficient documentation of recurring flooding issues or basement backups must be submitted with the final PPD.
To receive points, the project must be located within a TMDL watershed associated with a stormwater pollutant. The PPD must discuss the efforts that will be taken to reduce or mitigate the discharge of the specific pollutant(s) (i.e., E. coli, biota/sediment, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, and chloride) to make progress toward the TMDL goal. The PPD must identify how the efforts will result in a direct reduction of the pollutant and improve water quality. Sufficient documentation supporting the project’s ability to provide a measured reduction of the pollutant during wet weather conditions must be included in the final PPD to receive 10 points.
Qualifying Best Management Practices (BMPs) include the following if designed for infiltration or reuse. Each BMP is eligible for points to create a cumulative total not to exceed 20 points:
The primary focus of the project must be stormwater volume reduction utilizing the Qualifying BMPs identified in the table below. The PPD must identify how the Qualifying BMPs will result in infiltration or reuse of existing stormwater runoff. Each BMP is eligible for a specific number of points (identified below) for a combined total not to exceed 20 points. Sufficient documentation, including pollutant reductions associated with the reduced volume, must be included in the final PPD to receive up to 20 points.
Bioretention Basins
Rain Gardens
Bioswales
Infiltration Trenches
Pervious Pavement
Native Revegetation
Water Storage and Reuse
Tree Cover
Green Roof
To receive points, this project must result in improved water quality of an existing stormwater discharge. Examples of these improvements include the addition of pretreatment, naturalizing, or retrofitting of a detention basin. Sufficient documentation, including a discussion of the current discharge and a detailed explanation of the expected pollutant removal from the additional treatment, must be included in the final PPD to receive 10 points.
To receive 5 points, the project must result in the disconnection of at least one existing impervious surface such as a road or a parking lot. The project must redirect the stormwater discharge to a different location, such as a rain garden or depressed island, that will result in a reduced discharge. The PPD must include a detailed description of the current conditions, the efforts that will be made to disconnect the existing impervious surface, and calculations identifying the amount of runoff being redirected.
To receive 10 points, the project footprint must incorporate more than one site (e.g., community park). The PPD must describe how the new or retrofitted regional BMP will improve water quality. For example, a city may construct a regional detention basin to generate a payment in lieu program for development projects that cannot fully meet the post-construction runoff control requirements due to local site issues. Sufficient documentation of the need for the new or retrofitted regional BMP, conditions under which the payment in lieu program will be available, and how credits will be awarded in perpetuity consistent with the MS4 application requirements must be included in the PPD.
Points are awarded to applicants that embrace a true asset management approach. To receive points, the project must be included in a current asset management (AM) program and the applicant must have a staff person participating in or who has successfully completed the Michigan Infrastructure Council’s AM Champions Program or similar AM training program. If a staff member is currently completing the program, the applicant must demonstrate their staff has been accepted as a cohort for the current year’s program by the final PPD submittal deadline. If a staff member has already completed the program, a Certificate of Completion must be submitted with the final PPD. If both requirements are met and documentation is included in the final PPD, the applicant will receive 5 points.
Points will not be awarded to applicants who only have an AM plan and do not have a staff member participating in or who has completed the AM Champions or other similar AM training program. Points will only be awarded when both requirements are met.
If an applicant does not currently have an AM program, has never received CWSRF financing for AM activities and an AM program is being developed for the first time as part of this project, the applicant will receive 5 points.
Points are awarded to applicants who coordinate with another municipal agency to improve water quality. To obtain these points, the applicant and at least one other municipal agency must coordinate on the stormwater management project. The PPD must identify the specific water quality benefits that will result from this project. For example, a regional stormwater park may be constructed to capture stormwater runoff from a city, county, and state agency as a large-scale solution to mitigate stormwater runoff. A letter of commitment, resolution, or memorandum of understanding between the agencies must be included in the final PPD to receive 10 points.
Points are awarded to applicants that consider the service life of the BMP or propose to construct the BMP based on projected precipitation above the most current NOAA Atlas estimates. Documentation demonstrating the proposed precipitation amounts associated with the project must be included in the final PPD to receive 10 points.
If an applicant has not received CWSRF financing in the last 5 fiscal years, they are awarded 3 points. This includes applicants that have applied for funding in previous years but were not in the fundable range. Points will not be awarded to applicants that previously declined funding within the last 5 fiscal years. An applicant is awarded points if they have received DWSRF financing, but not CWSRF financing within the last 5 fiscal years.
Projects that are considered construction ready by the final CWSRF PPD submittal deadline are awarded 5 points. Construction ready projects are those projects that have completed design and all required documentation, such as agreements and/or approvals, that are necessary to implement the scope of work prior to final PPD submittal. Projects must also proceed with a loan closing in Quarter 3 or earlier. If an applicant cannot achieve a Quarter 3 loan closing or earlier, these points may be deducted from their overall score, which may result in the project no longer being in the fundable range on the PPL.
A geographically overlapping project integrates multiple previously planned projects in the same area occurring at the same time. Points will be awarded to projects that coordinate improvements to other assets and infrastructure that would be considered CWSRF ineligible or non-participating work.
Examples of projects include opening the road once to update more than just wastewater utility infrastructure, road reconstruction beyond CWSRF eligible scope, etc. A resolution or commitment letter from the community/applicant and a map with the overlapping locations of all utility projects must be included in the final PPD to receive the 5 points. Points will not be awarded to projects that include incidental work such as meeting minimum separation requirements or replacement/repair of utilities directly impacted by CWSRF construction.
This category is awarded based on the applicant’s Overburdened and Significantly Overburdened Determination Survey submitted to EGLE. A new determination and survey submittal is required for each fiscal year. Determination, review data, and required forms are on the State Revolving Fund Affordability Criteria webpage. An Overburdened system is awarded 20 points, while a Significantly Overburdened system is awarded 25 points.
If two or more projects have the same score based on the above criteria, the following tiebreaker will be used:
The system with the lower median annual household income will be ranked ahead of the system with the higher median annual household income.
For systems that serve more than one municipal entity, the blended median annual household income (MAHI) calculated during the submission of the overburdened survey will be used as the tiebreaker. All applicants must submit the Overburdened and Significantly Overburdened Determination Survey on the State Revolving Fund Affordability Criteria webpage to calculate the MAHI that will be used.
