A utilities company in California's Inland Empire is getting a $120 million loan to improve its wastewater-recycling efforts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last month.
The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) in San Bernardino County will receive the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to carry out its proposed Regional Wastewater System Improvements Program (RWSIP), the EPA states in the April 6 announcement. The loan will pay for upgrades at four wastewater treatment facilities, the EPA reports.
Improvements will help "mitigate the impacts of climate change in the drought-prone service area by ensuring reliable access to wastewater treatment and recycled water and reducing reliance on imported water supplies," the announcement states.
Radhika Fox, EPA assistant administrator for water, congratulated the IEUA for creating a water-recycling program designed to address both current and future needs, the EPA reports. Fox said the low-interest WIFIA loan will help reduce the program's overall costs.
“Investing in water infrastructure is a win-win for public health, the environment, and job creation," Fox said in the statement, "and we look forward to bringing these benefits to communities across through country through WIFIA and investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
The WIFIA loan will save Inland Empire Utilities Agency approximately $27 million in financing, according to the statement. Construction projects include a new solid-waste treatment facility, offsite pump stations, pipeline replacement, odor-control systems and more, the EPA reports, and are expected to create 780 jobs. Construction is scheduled to be finished in 2026.
EPA Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman noted in the statement that the IEUA projects will improve water infrastructure and fight the effects of drought and climate change in the area.
“Through WIFIA," Guzman said in the statement, "EPA is delivering on its commitment to modernize the nation’s water infrastructure to improve public health and environmental protection while supporting local economies.”
California Senator Dianne Feinstein stated climate change and increasing incidents of drought mean people must develop effective ways to manage water resources.
“Water recycling is one of the key ways we can use our water more efficiently," Sen. Feinstein said in the announcement. "The Biden administration is wisely investing in this water recycling plant and related infrastructure that will benefit the Inland Empire for decades.”
