Water Infrastructure | YPGG

Lincoln County Sanitation District in Kentucky Recognized by EPA for Excellence and Innovation in Clean Water Infrastructure

November 9, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

ATLANTA - On Wednesday, November 7, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Junction City to Hustonville sewer project in Lincoln County, Kentucky. as one of 30 clean water infrastructure projects for excellence and innovation within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. Honored projects include large wastewater infrastructure projects to small decentralized and agriculture projects.

“The Clean Water State Revolving Fund plays an integral role in advancing the President’s infrastructure agenda, providing communities with low-interest loans so that they can modernize aging infrastructure, create good jobs, and better protect public health and the environment,” said EPA Office of Water Assistant Administrator Dave Ross. “The scale and complexity of the 2018 PISCES recognized projects represent the determination, coordination, and creativity our partners put forth to achieve their water quality goals.”

"The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is an extremely important source of funding to ensure communities in the southeast have access to clean, safe drinking water and the infrastructure necessary to support local needs," said EPA Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn.

The Lincoln County Sanitation District constructed a sanitary sewage system for 535 residential and 50 commercial customers that previously did not have sewer service. The new collection system was a critical upgrade because it replaced 223 failing septic tanks, 101 straight pipes, and two package treatment plants that previously discharged raw sewage. The new conveyance system was made possible through the collaboration of many supporting partners including the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority CWSR, which provided over $4 million in financing for the project.

The CWSRF is a federal EPA-state partnership that provides communities a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects. Over the past 31 years, CWSRF programs have provided more than $132 billion in financing for water quality infrastructure.

EPA’s Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) program celebrates innovation demonstrated by CWSRF programs and assistance recipients.

Learn more about each of the 2018 PISCES-recognized projects at https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf/pisces.

EPA Invites Projects in California, Arizona to Apply for WIFIA Water Infrastructure Loans

November 6, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

Loans will help make critical investments in communities to improve water quality for 22 million Americans

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting 12 projects in California and one project in Arizona to apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans. A total of 39 projects have been invited to apply nationwide.

“Through WIFIA, EPA is playing an integral role in President Trump’s efforts to improve and upgrade our nation’s water infrastructure and ensure all Americans have access to clean and safe water,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This year, EPA will help finance over $10 billion in water infrastructure investments that will create up to 155,000 jobs, upgrade aging infrastructure, reduce lead exposure, and improve the lives of millions of Americans across the country.”

EPA’s WIFIA loans will allow large and small communities across the country to implement projects to address two national water priorities – providing for clean and safe drinking water, including reducing exposure to lead and other contaminants, and addressing aging water infrastructure.

EPA received 62 letters of interest from both public and private entities in response to the 2018 WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). After a robust, statutorily required review process, the WIFIA Selection Committee chose the following 13 prospective borrowers’ projects to submit applications for loans in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region:

City of Phoenix; Water Main Replacement Program; $49 million (Arizona)
San Mateo-Foster City Public Financing Authority; San Mateo Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade and Expansion Project; $277 million (California)
Coachella Valley Water District; Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel Improvement Project; $22 million (California)
Poseidon Resources (Channelside) LP; Carlsbad Intake Project; $32 million (California)
City of Stockton Public Financing Authority; Regional Wastewater Control Facility Modifications Project; $53 million (California)
Silicon Valley Clean Water; SVCW RESCU; $181 million (California)
City of Sunnyvale; Sunnyvale Cleanwater Program Phase 2; $166 million (California)
San Juan Water District; Hinkle and Kokila Reservoir Rehabilitation and Replacement; $12 million (California)
City of Los Angeles; Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility; $185 million (California)
Inland Empire Utilities Agency; RP-5 Expansion Project; $138 million (California)
Sanitation District No. 2 of Los Angeles County; Joint Water Pollution Control Plant Effluent Outfall Tunnel; $426 million (California)
City of Antioch; Brackish Water Desalination Project; $32 million (California)
Coachella Valley Water District; North Indio Regional Flood Control Project; $29 million (California)

Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program at EPA that aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. EPA’s WIFIA loans will allow large and small communities across the country to implement projects to address two national water priorities – providing for clean and safe drinking water including reducing exposure to lead and other contaminants and addressing aging water infrastructure.

To date, EPA has issued four loans totaling over $1 billion in WIFIA credit assistance. Combined, these four projects will create over 5,000 jobs.

According to EPA's estimate of national drinking water and wastewater needs, over $743 billion is needed for water infrastructure improvements. EPA’s WIFIA program plays an important part in fulfilling this need and in the President’s Infrastructure Plan, which calls for expanding project eligibility.

To learn more about the 39 projects that are invited to apply and about EPA’s WIFIA program, visit https://www.epa.gov/wifia/wifia-selected-projects.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

EPA Backs Virginia Plan to Improve Water Quality

August 28, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

PHILADELPHIA - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has approved and helped fund a $105.7 million plan by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to implement key water infrastructure projects, including new and upgraded wastewater treatment plants to better serve residents, increase efficiency, and reduce pollution.

“This federal-state partnership is critically important to helping achieve President Trump’s and EPA’s goal of improving our nation’s water infrastructure,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “All Americans deserve clean water and the revolving loan program will greatly benefit Virginia communities.”

Virginia’s Intended Use Plan includes an award of $32.8 million from EPA’s FY 2018 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The plan by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is also funded with a $6.6 million state match, repayments from prior CWSRF loans, and interest earnings.

The projects targeted for funding in the state’s CWSRF plan include:

$23,600,000 to the City of Lynchburg for a wet weather pumping station and wet weather disinfection system at its wastewater treatment plant, which will greatly reduce the impact that storms have on local water quality.

$10,000,000 to the City of Norfolk to replace multiple aging sewer mains throughout the city.

$9,550,000 to the City of Richmond to address sewer overflows during storms through upgrades and modifications to system components and facilities.

$6,691,500 to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District to rehabilitate 11,000 linear feet of sewer lines along Orcut Avenue and 9,400 linear feet of sewer lines along Mercury Blvd.

$1,092,854 to the County of Alleghany to rehabilitate the sanitary sewer system in the Rosedale subdivision.

$423,700 to the Town of Marion to replace 3,185 feet of terra-cotta sewer line.

$2,000,000 to the City of Petersburg for the replacement of water main for the Poor Creek Force Main.

$1,869,028 to the Town of Coeburn to replace sewer lines in the Banner and Bondtown areas.

$12,500,000 to the Pepper’s Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority for upgrades and replacement of various system components.

$8,172,792 to the Sanitary Board of Bluefield for the replacement of worn, failure- prone and outdated equipment at the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"Over the last decades, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund has been critical to our efforts to advance clean water in the Commonwealth of Virginia," said DEQ Director David Paylor. "This funding will provide significant support to our Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts in the coming years."

The CWSRF program provides low interest loans for the construction of wastewater treatment facilities and other projects vital to protecting and improving water quality in rivers, lakes and streams for drinking water, recreation and natural habitat. The loans help communities keep water and sewer rates more affordable while addressing local water quality problems.

For more information about EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program: https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf

EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects in New York

April 5, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

Contact: Tayler Covington, (212) 637-3662, covington.tayler@epa.gov

NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of funding that could provide as much as $5.5 billion in loans, which could leverage over $11 billion in water infrastructure projects through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Prospective borrowers seeking WIFIA credit assistance must submit a letter of interest (LOI) by July 6, 2018.

“Thanks to the President’s leadership, this WIFIA funding will spark new investments to repair our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA will play a key role in the President’s infrastructure efforts by incentivizing states, municipalities, and public-private partnerships to protect public health, fix local infrastructure problems, create jobs, and provide clean water to communities.”

The WIFIA program received $63 million in funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018. This more than doubles the program’s funding from 2017. Leveraging private capital and other funding sources, these projects could support $11 billion in water infrastructure investment and create more than 170,000 jobs. This year’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) highlights the importance of protecting public health including reducing exposure to lead and other contaminants in drinking water systems and updating the nation’s aging infrastructure.

What is WIFIA? It’s the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. And it has $5.5 billion in credit available now to finance over $11 billion projects. Learn more: https://t.co/phgbRVVrHW pic.twitter.com/GAVZlNd5wv

— U.S. EPA (@EPA) April 5, 2018

“New York knows all too well the costs of storm damaged water and wastewater systems. All of us have witnessed just how vulnerable our infrastructure is,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “Funding critical repairs and improving resiliency in our wastewater treatment and drinking water distribution systems remains a critical priority. We need investment to protect and promote our communities, our local economies, and public health.”

The WIFIA program will play an important part in making vital improvements to the nation’s water infrastructure and implementing the President’s Infrastructure Plan, which calls for increasing the program’s funding authorization and expanding project eligibility.

Background

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program at EPA that aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

WIFIA credit assistance can be used for a wide range of projects, including:

drinking water treatment and distribution projects
wastewater conveyance and treatment projects
enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities
desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling project
drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects

EPA will evaluate proposed projects described in the LOIs using WIFIA’s statutory and regulatory criteria as described in the NOFA. Through this competitive process, EPA will select projects that it intends to fund and invite them to continue to the application process.

In 2017, for WIFIA’s inaugural round, EPA invited 12 projects in 9 states to apply for more than $2 billion in WIFIA loans.

For more information about WIFIA and this funding announcement, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

Tag: Water Infrastructure