INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded nearly $12 million in low-interest loans to South Florida communities for recent and upcoming drinking water projects. Loans were awarded through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, which assists communities with projects that protect the safety of drinking water in their area.
“The ability to provide funding for drinking water projects is vital to meeting the state’s stringent water-quality standards and protecting the health of its residents and visitors,” said Trina Vielhauer, director of the Division of Water Restoration Assistance. “We encourage community leaders to take advantage of this funding opportunity.”
Below are a few examples of recent DWSRF projects in the southern region of the state.
Haines City: Awarded a $4.7 million increase to an existing loan for a total of $6.4 million in funding to assist the city in completing their ion exchange treatment system, which will reduce disinfection byproducts in drinking water and provide safe drinking water for the residents of this small Polk County community.
Lake Worth: Awarded a $568,432 loan to assist the city with replacing more than 17 miles of water pipes in its distribution system with larger-diameter pipes designed for long-term use, improving water quality for approximately 12,000 residences in this coastal community. This six-phase project will be completed over the next five years.
Gasparilla Island: Awarded a $5 million loan to expand the capacity of the existing Gasparilla Island Water Association’s reverse osmosis water treatment plant to more than 1.2-million gallons per day. The project also includes two new brackish water supply wells and a raw water main to transport water to the water treatment plant.
One of the benefits of DWSRF loans for projects that help resolve an immediate health concern in financially-disadvantaged communities, is that a large part of the loan is forgiven and does not need to be paid back by the community. More than $5 million from some of the projects listed above requires no repayment.
An additional $50 million is available to communities this fiscal year to fund eligible projects.
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program provides low-interest loans to eligible entities for planning, designing and constructing public water facilities. DWSRF has awarded more than $273 million in funding for 62 drinking water improvement projects during the past five years for a total of $925 million in loan funds since its inception in 1998. For more information, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/dwsrf/index.htm.