SNEP Model Responsible Management Entity (RME) Project
The SNEP Model Responsible Management Entity Project RFA sets forth a competitive process to solicit and select up to two applicants in the SNEP geographic boundaries, one each in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, to develop a Responsible Management Entity (RME) while simultaneously installing, monitoring, and operating/overseeing I/A septic systems (otherwise known as alternative and experimental (A/E)) in the area covered by the RME. The goal of this effort is to advance the adoption and installation of I/A septic systems by demonstrating the effectiveness of the comprehensive RME model to manage them. An additional goal is to install the best available I/A technologies (those consistently achieving below 12 mg/l-nitrogen in their effluent) in order to gather more information on their performance. These goals, and the advancement of I/A septic use in general, have long been identified as a priority in New England and especially the area covered by the SNEP.
Informational Webinar: May 26, 2022, 12:30 - 2:00pm EDT (recorded)
Application deadline: June 17, 2022
RME RFA Frequently Asked Questions
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Does the eligible entity (applicant) need to have a State-approved Comprehensive Water Management Plan to be able to apply?
No. Neither applicants nor the communities they propose to work in need to have a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) in place to be eligible to apply for this Request for Applications (RFA). However, communities in Massachusetts with CWMPs in place may mention them in their application and have an independent obligation to ensure that they comply with any regulatory requirements stemming from the CWMP while carrying out the grant, as applicable. -
Should applicants describe their approach to Responsible Management Entity development as well as funding for Innovative/Alternative installations in a single proposal, or separate?
The innovative/alternative septic system (I/A) installations and responsible management entity (RME) development should be included in a single proposal. Some of the specifics can be found in Section IV-A-iii and Section V-B of the Request for Applications. -
What if an applicant feels that a Type 4 or Type 5 Responsible Management Entity is not achievable in their geographic area in the near-term, perhaps due to politics or lack of capacity?
While spurring the creation of a Type 4 or Type 5 Responsible Management Entity (RME) is a major focus of the request for assistance (RFA) (see Section VI-A-ii), the Southeast New England Program understands that it takes time to establish all of the program elements necessary to achieve these management structures, including substantial public education and outreach. Towns across the region vary in their current approach to septic system management. As a result, applicants may propose to work towards a Type 4 or Type 5 model, while tempering their applications with "…realistic expectations for achieving the goals of this RFA given funding/timing restrictions" (RFA page 15, Section VI-A-ii).
That said, the RFA also states that "applicants may determine the timeline for establishing the proposed RME but will be expected to have an established and operational RME by the end of the grant period…" (page 16, Section VI-A-ii). Exactly which aspects of the Type 4 or Type 5 RME structure are incorporated and implemented into the application are up to the applicant. However, applications will be judged based on the criteria listed in Section V-B of the RFA, so applications without substantial aspects of a Type