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Source: NCDENR, 10/11/12
The N.C. Division of Water Quality announced today that 32 wastewater and stormwater projects in 24 counties will receive more than $114 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program for 20 years has provided low-interest and zero percent interest loans to local governments to help improve their wastewater treatment plants and sewer systems. The improvements have resulted in more efficient and reliable infrastructure that protects and improves water quality in North Carolina’s rivers and streams.
This round of awards includes zero-interest loans for the following local governments:
· More than $590,000 for Lenoir in Caldwell County. The project will rehabilitate more than a mile of clay pipe sewer lines that are more than 40 years old and sit along a popular greenway walking trail. The sewer lines and brick manholes are in poor condition and in need of repairs. Half of the award qualifies for principal forgiveness, which allows a loan recipient to only payback a portion of the loan.
· $2.07 million to Robersonville in Martin County. The loan will be used to rehabilitate the town’s wastewater treatment facility. The Robersonville Wastewater Treatment Plant has struggled to maintain compliance with discharge limits and, as a result, is subject to a moratorium on new sewer hookups. The project will improve the town’s wastewater treatment system as well as its reliability and monitoring.
· $1.05 million to the Yadkin Valley Sewer Authority serving Surry and Yadkin counties. The loan will be used to rehabilitate 13 wastewater pump stations, some of which are in critical locations such as drinking water supply watersheds for Elkin and Jonesville. Due to age and deterioration, the pump stations have recurring equipment failures and lack backup power sources. Also, four failing pump stations will be replaced with gravity sewer lines to reduce the possibility of wastewater spills. Half of the award qualifies for principal forgiveness.
· $5.9 million to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority. The loan will be used to replace outdated aeration equipment at its 14 million-gallon-per-day Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant with new and more efficient aeration equipment that will require less energy to operate. The award to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority is an example of the revolving fund’s usage on projects that save energy.
During this round of funding, nine communities received principal forgiveness totaling more than $4 million as part of their loan awards. Twenty-three projects, totaling about $38 million, are receiving zero percent interest loans.
Funding for the Clean Water State Revolving program is provided by Congress, the state of North Carolina, and repayment of the loans made to local governments. In addition to low-interest loans, zero-interest loans are available for green infrastructure and qualifying rehabilitation projects. Principal forgiveness is available when included in the federal appropriations law. Awards are made in the spring and fall. Project awards are not final until all funding program requirements have been met and the recipient’s financial qualifications have been approved by the N.C. Local Government Commission.
For a list of projects funded in this cycle, please visit the N.C. Division of Water Quality’s website at http://ifs.nc.gov.
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