When do the wage rules set forth in the Davis-Bacon Act apply to section 319 funds?
A. The Davis-Bacon Act is applicable only to 319 grants that fund construction of treatment works. CWA section 212 defines construction and treatment works for grants under Title II. Although the section 212 definition can be used as a guide for determining whether a project is a treatment works for purposes of section 319(h) grants, the section 212 definition includes items that may not be “treatment works” in common understanding (e.g., storage facilities that do not provide treatment). For such projects, the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C §§ 176a–276a-7) requires that wages for laborers and mechanics working on specific, federally funded projects be set at the current wage rate for that region. Specifically, the act requires that each contract over $2,000 for the construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings or public works follow the minimum wages to be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics employed under the contract. Q. Are the requirements in the National Enviro
