In a March 29, 2019 Press Release, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $6 billion in credit that could finance over $12 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 no more than 90 days after the Notice is published in the Federal Register. WIFIA loans can be applied to a wide range of projects in both drinking water and wastewater treatment and conveyance, as well as energy efficiency projects at treatment plants. EPA’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) highlights the Agency’s following project finance priorities: updating aging infrastructure; reducing lead exposure and emerging contaminants in drinking water systems; and implementing water reuse and recycling programs. One of the goals of WIFIA is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.
EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, is quoted as saying “Through WIFIA, we are addressing several of President Trump’s top priorities simultaneously: modernizing our nation’s aging infrastructure, improving public health protections, and creating jobs.” To date, EPA has issued 8 loans totaling over $2 billion in WIFIA credit assistance that is leveraged to finance over $4 billion for water infrastructure projects and is estimated to have created over 6,000 jobs. To learn more about the WIFIA Program visit EPA’s website HERE. Information about the application process is available HERE.