News

NEW HAVEN, CT – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the Regional Water Authority (RWA) will be included among the 43 new projects in 24 states invited to apply for approximately $6.7 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans. These low-interest loans are part of a federal program administered by EPA for eligible water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The funds can cover up to 49 percent of eligible costs for projects totaling $20 million or more. (EPA full release https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-invites-39-new-projects-apply-water-infrastructure-loans EPA WIFIA Fact Sheet https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-12/wifia-2021-project-selection-overview-factsheet.pdf)

This year the EPA WIFIA program is approved to provide approximately $5.5 billion in credit assistance and may finance approximately $11 billion in water infrastructure investment to eligible entities. Allowable costs include development phase activities, including planning, preliminary engineering, design, environmental review, revenue forecasting, and other pre-construction activities. Construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and replacement activities are also allowed under the rules of the program.

“The RWA is pleased to partner with WIFIA to help fund the rehabilitation of the iconic Lake Whitney Dam in Hamden,” said Larry Bingaman, RWA President and CEO. “We will renew the infrastructure in our community, safeguard this critical water supply reservoir for generations to come and through participating in WIFIA’s low-cost funding opportunities, we will also be able to mitigate future water rate increases for our customers.”

Lake Whitney Dam is a key part of the RWA’s water supply system and serves the following main purposes: impounds Mill River to form Lake Whitney which is the single source to the RWA’s Lake Whitney Water Treatment Plant; provides water quality improvements to Mill River which flows downstream of the dam, and provides drought mitigation by providing seasonally high volumes of source water.

“Lake Whitney is critical to providing Connecticut families with clean, reliable drinking water,” said U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro. “When Congress and President Biden crafted and passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, rehabilitating the Lake Whitney Dam was exactly the type of project that inspired the historic investments in our nation’s water systems. I am proud that the EPA has invited South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority to access federal funds to rehabilitate the 160-year-old high-hazard dam and improve the spillway to meet current standards. I am committed to ensuring Connecticut has the tools it needs to safeguard our water supply and lower water costs for Connecticut’s families.”

An approximately $40 million project is planned to upgrade the dam to more rigorous current stability guidelines established by the Army Corps of Engineers, and spillway capacities required by the State of Connecticut Dam Safety Regulations. The project will protect the water distribution system and the dam itself. Completed in 1862, the Lake Whitney Dam is not only a critical piece of water infrastructure, it is also a historic structure and the project must be conducted under the State of Connecticut’s historic preservation guidelines.

The RWA will take the next step in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) process by formally applying for credit assistance. While this invitation does not guarantee funding, it is expected that the EPA will only invite projects to apply if it anticipates that those projects can obtain WIFIA credit assistance. (NOFA https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/04/29/2021-08867/notification-of-funding-for-credit-assistance-under-the-water-infrastructure-finance-and-innovation)

About the Regional Water Authority
Trusted since 1849, the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA) is a nonprofit corporation that delivers water for life by providing high-quality water and services to almost 430,000 people in 15 cities and towns throughout Greater New Haven. As a conscious business, the RWA acts as a responsible steward of the environment by protecting the more than 27,000 acres of watershed land it owns and promoting sustainable practices. Our more than 270 employees work toward our vision of being an innovative water utility that sustains life, strengthens communities and protects natural resources for future generations.