1. (a) The factors to be used by the executive administrator to rate projects seeking financial assistance from the State Participation Account, and the points assigned to each factor, shall be as follows:

   1. (1) water development projects will receive 2 points, and wastewater projects will receive 1 point;
   2. (2) projects which result in the development of a new, usable supply of water through conservation or innovative technologies including, but not limited to, desalinization, demineralization, other advanced water treatment practices, wastewater reuse, floodwater harvesting, or aquifer storage and recovery will receive 2 points;
   3. (3) projects which have received previous board funding for facility planning, design, or permitting for the project being rated will receive 1 point;

   4. (4) water conservation programs required under §363.1004(10)(G) of this title (relating to Application for Assistance) will be granted a maximum of 4 points for each applicant based upon the following.

      1. (A) Applicants which have previously adopted a board approved water conservation program or who have previously submitted a water conservation program to the commission that has been deemed complete by the commission will receive 2 points.

      2. (B) Applicants will receive 0.25 points for each of the following elements that are found in the submitted water conservation program totalling to a maximum sum of 2 rating points per applicant:

         1. (i) codes and ordinances which require the use of water-conserving technologies;
         2. (ii) ordinances to promote efficiency and avoid waste;
         3. (iii) commercial and residential conservation audits for indoor and landscape water uses;
         4. (iv) plumbing fixture replacement and retrofit programs;
         5. (v) recycling and reuse of reclaimed wastewater and/or gray water;
         6. (vi) demonstrated submittals of accepted annual water conservation reports to the board and/or the commission;
         7. (vii) demonstrated historical unexplained water loss of no more than 15%;
         8. (viii) provision to update the program in intervals no longer than once every five years.
   5. (5) Applicants which propose to use local funds for a portion of the project will receive the number equal to the percentage of local ownership, expressed as a decimal.
   6. (6) Applicants will receive a number equal to the percentage, expressed as a decimal, of the total facility capacity that would be necessary to serve the existing population that could use the facility at the time the application is filed.
2. (b) Between tie scores only, 1 point will be awarded to the project having the service area which has the lowest median annual household income, based upon the most current data available from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, for all of the areas to be served by the project.

Source Note:The provisions of this §363.1007 adopted to be effective October 8, 2002, 27 TexReg 9382.