Four cities in northeast Georgia are among 21 Georgia communities recently awarded low-interest loans for water, sewer, and wastewater infrastructure improvements by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) board of directors.
The loans totaled $52,224,662 for all of the projects statewide. The cities of Blue Ridge, Commerce, Cornelia and Hartwell were awarded $6,719,985 for the projects in their cities.
- Blue Ridge awarded a $211,985 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan
- Commerce awarded a $1,670,000 DWSRF loan
- Cornelia awarded a $975,000 CWSRF loan
- Hartwell awarded a $3,863,000 DWSRF loan
City of Blue Ridge
The $211,985 DWSRF loan will finance phase II of the city’s plan to install an automatic meter reading (AMR) system. Phase II will replace 419 residential meters and 46 commercial meters along with 175 meter box lids. This project will provide accurate water meter data collection and reduce non-revenue water losses in the system. The city will pay 1.09 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because it’s an eligible water conservation project, and includes principal forgiveness up to $84,800 if all loan funds are drawn.
City of Commerce
The $1,670,000 DWSRF loan will finance replacing leaking water lines with approximately 7,500 linear feet 12-inch water lines along with a booster pump station. The city also plans to install isolated valves and pressure reducing valves on existing water mains. This project will provide reliable system pressure for the city’s existing customers. The city will pay 1.42 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because it’s an eligible water conservation project, and includes principal forgiveness up to $500,000 if all loan funds are drawn.
City of Cornelia
The $975,000 CWSRF loan will finance the construction of new sanitary sewer mains complete with manholes, sewer laterals, cleanouts and all necessary appurtances. This project will upgrade the city’s sanitary sewer system in an area experiencing issues with inflow and infiltration. Inflow and infiltration results in decreased efficiency of sewage treatment and may cause sewage volumes to exceed design capacity. The city will pay 0.50 percent interest on the 5-year loan, which includes a principal forgiveness of $195,000 if all funds are drawn.
City of Hartwell
The $3,863,000 DWSRF loan will finance the rehabilitation of the city’s water treatment plant, including construction of a new clearwell, filter and underdrain replacement, and installation of new raw water and high-service pumps. This project will allow the city’s water treatment plant to operate more efficiently and continue to provide safe drinking water. The city will pay 1.09 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because it’s an eligible water conservation project, and includes principal forgiveness up to $500,000 if all loan funds are drawn.
“GEFA loans help local governments improve their environmental infrastructure. Financing water, wastewater, solid waste, and energy, land and water conservation projects encourages economic growth and the stewardship of our environment," said GEFA Executive Director Kevin Clark.
