U.S. EPA invites 13 projects in California, 1 in Arizona to apply for nearly $2 billion in water infrastructure loans

EPA Press Release:

For Immediate Release: October 23, 2019

Media Contact: Denise Adamic, adamic.denise@epa.gov, 415-972-3061

U.S. EPA invites 13 projects in California, 1 in Arizona to apply for nearly $2 billion in water infrastructure loans

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting 13 projects in California to apply for a total of $1.6 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans. EPA is also inviting the City of Phoenix to apply for a $172 million WIFIA loan. Across the nation, a total of 38 projects in 18 states are being invited to apply for about $6 billion in loans to help finance over $12 billion in water infrastructure investments and create almost 200,000 jobs.

“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 Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This announcement highlights billions of dollars in needed water infrastructure investments to upgrade aging infrastructure, reduce exposure to lead and emerging contaminants and improve the lives of millions of Americans across the country – all while creating almost 200,000 jobs.”

“Investments in water infrastructure can build healthier communities and stronger economies across our region,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “These prospective borrowers have submitted proposals for projects that will deliver clean water and protect human health.”

EPA’s WIFIA loans will allow communities across the country to implement projects to address national water priorities – including providing for clean and safe drinking water by reducing exposure to lead and emerging contaminants, addressing aging water infrastructure and developing water recycling and reuse projects. EPA received 51 letters of interest from both public and private entities in response to the 2019 WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

After a robust, statutorily required review process, the WIFIA Selection Committee chose the following prospective borrowers’ project in Arizona to submit a loan application:

• City of Phoenix; Zone 3D and 4A Improvements Program; $172 million

The following prospective borrowers in California were invited to submit loan applications:

• City of San Mateo; Basins 2 and 3 Collection System Improvements Project; $85 million
• Soquel Creek Water District; Pure Water Soquel; $49 million
• City of Oceanside; Buccaneer Sewer List Station and Force Main Project; $47 million
• City of Oceanside; Pure Water Oceanside and Lower Recycled Water Distribution System Expansion Project; $57 million
• South Coast Water District; Doheny Ocean Desalination Project; $60 million
• Monterey One Water; Pure Water Monterey Groundwater Replenishment Project; $44 million
• Poseidon Resources-Channelside, LP; Huntington Beach Desalination Plant; $585 million
• City of Daly City; Vista Grande Drainage Basin Improvement Project; $61 million
• City of Roseville; Roseville’s Water Future Initiative; $37 million
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; Southeast Plant New Headworks Facility Project; $236 million
• San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority; Jones Pumping Plant Unit Motor Rehabilitation Project; $19 million
• Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District; Secondary Effluent Project; $12 million
• East County Advanced Water Purification Joint Powers Authority; Water Purification Project; $342 million

To learn more about the 38 projects that are invited to apply, visit https://www.epa.gov/wifia/wifia-selected-projects.  

Background

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. WIFIA's aim is to accelerate investment in the nation's water infrastructure by providing long-term and low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. EPA's WIFIA program plays an important part in President Trump's infrastructure plan, which calls for expanding project eligibility. The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs.

For more information about the WIFIA program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia.

###