News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA invites City of Phoenix to apply for a $172 million water infrastructure loan

PHOENIX – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting the City of Phoenix to apply for a $172 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (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. “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 invited the City of Phoenix to submit a loan application for a proposed Zone 3D and 4A Improvements Program, totaling $172 million. The proposed project would connect water systems across the city to ensure more reliable service to those who would otherwise be negatively impacted if the availability of Colorado River water were reduced. The project would benefit 1,615,000 people.

To learn more about the 38 projects that are invited to apply, visit https://19january2021snapshot.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://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/wifia.

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