EPA opens $6.5B in WIFIA financing, approves five new loans for major water projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced $6.5 billion in new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) financing, along with an additional $550 million for state programs through SWIFIA. The agency is accepting applications on a rolling basis for the program’s ninth round of funding.

“Modernizing and maintaining water infrastructure is essential to ensuring clean and safe water for all Americans and advancing EPA’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative,” said Jessica Kramer, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, in an EPA press release. “EPA’s WIFIA program provides a win-win for communities and American taxpayers.”

EPA also approved five new WIFIA loans supporting projects in Texas, Illinois, Oregon, and Florida:

• Fort Worth, Texas — $347 million to upgrade wastewater collection and treatment and develop a new water reclamation facility for industrial and irrigation reuse.

• Pflugerville, Texas — $176 million to construct a new wastewater treatment plant, expand collection systems, and rehabilitate water mains. This is the city’s second WIFIA loan.

• Joliet, Illinois — $87 million to help the city shift from an overdrawn aquifer to Lake Michigan water, including distribution system upgrades. This is the third loan under a $395 million agreement.

• Ashland, Oregon — $73 million to build a new drinking water treatment plant to improve reliability for this small, rural community.

• Wilton Manors, Florida — $28 million to replace aging water mains, rehabilitate lift stations, upgrade force mains, and improve stormwater drainage to reduce service disruptions.

EPA said this round of funding aligns with its priority areas, including safe drinking water, pollution reduction, innovation in the water sector, and economic growth.