A statement of interest is a preliminary scope of work that must include sufficient information to address all of the eligibility criteria described in §§404.6 and 404.7 and the prioritization criteria in §404.13, as well as any information required by the program announcement. In general, this may include, but is not limited to:

(a) Name, organization, and contact information, including the identification of any partners that may be involved in the appraisal investigation;

(b) Location map and description of the areas to be served by the proposed rural water supply project, including:

(1) Geographical scope;

(2) Demographics; and

(3) Existing rural water supply infrastructure, if any;

(c) Type of assistance being requested through this program as described in §404.11;

(d) A general description of the problems, needs, and opportunities that the appraisal investigation is being formulated to address, supported by data or documentation where appropriate. The information provided must also address each of the prioritization criteria in §404.13;

(e) A general description of project alternatives that may be considered in the investigation, including:

(1) Water supply management alternatives (e.g., types of infrastructure or facilities to deliver new water supplies), if known;

(2) Water demand management alternatives (e.g., water conservation and other approaches to reduce water consumption), if known; and

(3) Potential sources of water supply.

(f) A general description of any prior studies on the problems, needs, and water management alternatives at issue; and,

(g) A general description of existing sources of water supply.