First ARRA/WPCRLF funds approved

AROUND MISSISSIPPI — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced that four communities have been approved for subsidized low-interest loans for wastewater infrastructure improvements.

The funding is being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and the Water Pollution Control Revolving Loan Fund Program (WPCRLF) administered by MDEQ. These are the first projects in Mississippi to be funded by ARRA/WPCRLF.

The ARRA portions of the funding are loan subsidies that will not have to be repaid. The WPCRLF portions will be repaid at a 1.75 percent interest rate over 20 years. Approval for additional projects in Mississippi will be announced soon, MDEQ said.

Loans were approved for the following recipients:

●Town of Decatur will receive $1,299,734 for the construction of an influent pump station and other improvements to its wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure.

●City of Tupelo will receive $1,007,750 for the construction of 5,440 linear feet of wastewater interceptor replacement line.

●Town of Falkner will receive $271,000 to convert its lagoon and overland spray field system to a hydrograph control release system.

● City of Raymond will receive $381,900 for the rehabilitation of 5,200 linear feet of sewer collection lines, 200 vertical feet of manhole rehabilitation and other miscellaneous work.

The ARRA appropriated $4 billion for Title VI EPA Capitalization Grants to the states’ Clean Water State Revolving Funds. Mississippi’s WPCRLF, administered by MDEQ, received $35,308,350. ARRA funds will be used along with base WPCRLF loan funds to jointly fund projects with the ARRA portion of each award in the form of a loan subsidy

Prior to final passage and enactment of ARRA, MDEQ conducted a comprehensive outreach campaign to alert potential borrowers of the possible availability of federal economic recovery stimulus funding. MDEQ said it then amended the FY-2009 WPCRLF Intended Use Plan to implement the funding in the most efficient manner, while providing the most benefit to the state.