116760.55.
(a) For purposes of the department considering eligibility for grant funding for a planning project, a legal entity may apply on behalf of one or more public water systems serving disadvantaged or severely disadvantaged communities if all of the following requirements are met:(1) The legal entity has a signed agreement with each public water system for which it is applying for funding for a planning and feasability study project that indicates that the public water system agrees to the joint application and that the legal entity is acting on behalf of, and in place of, the public water system.
(2) The application is for 100 percent grant funding for a planning and feasability project.
(3) The planning and feasibility study project includes a study of the feasibility of consolidation, which may include expansion of service to communities not currently served by a public water system.
(4) The applicant has demonstrated that the legal entity has the ability to complete the proposed planning project.
(5) At least one of the project participating public water systems has a primary drinking water standard violation and is on the project priority list.
(b) For purposes of this section, “legal entity” means an entity that is duly formed and operating under the laws of this state.