Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (August 7, 2024) – At an event with U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle announced a $171 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the Birmingham Water Works Board in Alabama. The loan aims to support improvements to the drinking water supply for 770,000 residents in Birmingham.
“Water is essential to healthy, thriving communities. That’s why EPA’s $171 million low-interest loan is so important for the residents and businesses in Birmingham. It will help upgrade aging water infrastructure, including reducing water main breaks and removing legacy lead pipes while reducing project costs,” said Acting EPA Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Through the WIFIA program and unprecedented investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is upgrading water infrastructure to benefit communities across the country. These efforts are strengthening drinking water systems, upgrading wastewater management, and creating good-paying jobs in the process.”
The WIFIA loan will enable the Birmingham Water Works Board to secure a more reliable source of drinking water through improvements to the Lake Purdy Dam. Additionally, it will help upgrade the city's drinking water infrastructure to be more efficient and protective of public health by replacing lead service lines that connect homes and businesses to water mains—a priority for the Biden-Harris Administration.
For years, Birmingham has faced challenges with water loss due to aging infrastructure. This loan will facilitate significant upgrades to its distribution system aimed at preventing over 250 annual water main breaks, improving service reliability for residents and businesses while lowering maintenance costs.
“This is great news for the residents of Birmingham,” said U.S. Representative Terri A. Sewell (AL-07). “Not only will this loan improve the city’s water supply and ensure safe drinking water, but it will save the city money and create more than a thousand jobs. I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for continuing to invest in the Magic City.”
"As Chairwoman of the Birmingham Water Works Board," she added, "I am honored to accept the EPA WIFIA loan that will deliver vital resources and support crucial improvements to our system that will benefit our entire service area."
This marks EPA’s first WIFIA loan in Alabama, benefiting 15 percent of its population while saving approximately $50 million through financing with a WIFIA loan. The project's construction and operation are expected to create about 1,200 jobs.
Since 2018, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced over $20 billion in financing supporting more than $44 billion in water infrastructure projects nationwide—strengthening drinking water systems as well as wastewater and stormwater infrastructure while creating over 148,000 jobs.
The WIFIA program was established by Congress under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 as a federal initiative administered by EPA aimed at accelerating investment in national water infrastructure through long-term low-cost supplemental credit assistance for significant regional projects.
EPA is currently offering $6.5 billion through WIFIA loans during its seventh selection round along with an additional $1 billion available exclusively for state infrastructure financing authority borrowers under SWIFIA loans.
Learn more about submitting letters of interest for these programs or other federal funding resources available under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at enhancing national competitiveness through critical investments.
###
