The board may enter into agreements with municipalities for loans and grants for projects to recycle water in accordance with this article. Criteria to be considered by the board in determining whether to enter into an agreement under this article may include, but are not limited to, whether the project is a cost-effective means to meet the state or local water supply needs, when compared to other sources of water supply that may be available to the municipality, whether the project is necessary to
protect water quality, the readiness of the municipality to proceed with the design and construction of water recycling projects, the degree to which the recycled water improves water supply reliability, water quality, ecosystem restoration, and other environmental benefits, the net water savings benefit, the degree to which the recycled water would reduce water supply demands on the bay-delta system, the Colorado River, or other water systems critical to regional or statewide water supply, the ability to encourage development of new water recycling projects, and the amount of funding that the municipality is requesting under this article. The cost effectiveness of a project when compared to other sources of state or local water supply shall not be the sole factor in determining whether to enter into an agreement.