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ATLANTA (November 1, 2018) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting the city of Atlanta and DeKalb County, Ga. to apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans.

The city of Atlanta is invited to apply for a $55 million WIFIA loan to go towards the $113 million estimated cost of the North Fork Peachtree Creek Tank and Pump Station project. DeKalb County is invited to apply for a $251 million WIFIA loan to go towards the towards the $526 million estimated cost of the Priority Areas Sewer Assessment & Rehabilitation Program Consent Decree Packages project.

“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.”

After a robust, statutorily required review process, city of Atlanta and DeKalb County were selected as among 39 projects nationwide, from a group of 62 prospective borrowers, representing large and small communities, who submitted letters of interest to EPA in response to the 2018 WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Together, the selected borrowers will receive WIFIA loans totaling up to $5 billion to help finance over $10 billion in water infrastructure investments and create up to 155,000 jobs.

“By investing in water infrastructure, we are improving water quality in our communities and protecting public health,” said Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn. “The WIFIA program allows states, municipalities, and public-private partnerships to fund the critical repairs necessary to strengthen our wastewater treatment and drinking water distribution systems.”

The purpose of the city of Atlanta’s North Fork Peachtree Creek Tank and Pump Station project is to significantly reduce the number and volume of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) along the entire length of the Peachtree Creek trunk sewer system, including eliminating SSOs during a 10-year, 4-hour storm and smaller back-to-back storms.

The purpose of DeKalb County’s Priority Areas Sewer Assessment & Rehabilitation Program Consent Decree Packages project is to assess and rehabilitate the sewer system infrastructure to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and comply with a December 2011 SSO Consent Decree.

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.govhttps://www.epa.gov/wifia/wifia-selected-projects.