Fourteen Georgia communities were awarded financing totaling $63,290,300 for water, wastewater, and sewer projects by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) board of directors. 

Approved loans: 

  • Albany awarded a $12,000,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan 
  • Alma awarded a $2,300,000 CWSRF loan 
  • Auburn awarded a $4,198,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Bartow County awarded a $4,770,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Hazlehurst awarded a $601,500 CWSRF loan 
  • LaFayette awarded a $967,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Lookout Mountain awarded a $2,300,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Luthersville awarded a $1,500,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) conservation loan
  • Moultrie awarded a $2,200,000 CWSRF conservation loan
  • Perry awarded a $6,000,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Ringgold awarded a $3,700,000 DWSRF conservation loan 
  • Walnut Grove awarded a $2,440,500 Georgia Fund loan
  • Winder awarded a $10,000,000 DWSRF loan and a $8,000,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Wrens awarded a $2,313,300 DWSRF loan  

Project and loan details: 

City of Albany

The $12,000,000 CWSRF loan will finance rehabilitating the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which is at the end of its useful life. This project will increase treatment system reliability and efficiency. The city will pay 2.60% on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $3,000,000.

City of Alma

The $2,300,000 CWSRF loan will finance upgrading lift stations and installing sewer lines. A manufacturer is expanding in the area and the current pump stations will not be able to handle the additional flows and will be at risk of overflowing during peak hours. This project will increase capacity and provide safe sanitary sewer service. The city will pay 1.98% on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $720,000.

City of Auburn 

The $4,198,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance constructing intake structures at Rock Creek, a pump station, and water lines. The city is transforming a former quarry into a raw water storage pond. This project will construct the needed infrastructure to convey the raw water from Rock Creek to the storage pond and treat the water for distribution. The city will pay 2.35% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to the city being a WaterFirst Community.

Bartow County

The $4,770,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance constructing a water pump station and a transmission main. This project is required to provide water to the Hanwha Qcells solar panel manufacturing plant under construction. The county will pay 2.35% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to the county being a WaterFirst Community.

City of Hazlehurst

The $601,500 CWSRF loan will finance replacing two pump stations and installing sewer lines. The pump stations have reached the end of their useful life and have led to overflows into two ponds. This project will enhance system resiliency, reliability, and efficiency. The city will pay 2.44% on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $541,350.

City of LaFayette 

The $967,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the installation of water main to improve the transfer of water to two water storage tanks. This project will reduce numerous maintenance and operational issues. The city will pay 2.51% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria.

City of Lookout Mountain

The $2,300,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance improvements to the Chickamauga Trail pump station. The city’s sanitary sewer system has reached the end of its useful life. This project will ensure reliability, increase capacity, and support future growth. The city will pay 3.35% interest on the 20-year loan. 

City of Luthersville

The $1,500,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance constructing a new well and chemical feed building and replacing water main. This project will improve the water production rate and provide redundancy for the water system. The city will pay 2.86% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria and the project being a conservation activity. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $1,350,000. 

City of Moultrie

The $2,200,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance improving the city’s wastewater treatment plant and repairing and rehabilitating sewer lines. This project will reduce inflow and infiltration and improve system efficiency and reliability. The city will pay 1.33% on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria and the project being a conservation activity. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $900,000.

City of Perry

The $6,000,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the installation of sewer lines to serve east Perry. The city is currently constructing a new East Perry Wastewater Treatment Facility to provide adequate capacity for additional population growth. This project will ensure reliability, increase capacity, and support future growth. The city will pay 2.92% interest on the 30-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to the city being a WaterFirst Community.

City of Ringgold

The $3,700,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance constructing a new well and elevated storage tank, rehabilitating the water distribution system, and the installation of a SCADA system. This project will enhance water service capabilities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards for safe drinking water. The city will pay 1.09% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria and the project being a conservation activity. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $3,330,000. 

City of Walnut Grove

The $2,440,500 Georgia Fund loan will finance constructing a 0.10 million gallon per day treatment plant, expanding the Walnut Grove land application system, upgrading pump stations, and rehabilitating an oxidation pond for treated water storage. This project will address treatment quality and increase treatment capacity to support additional development in the city. The city will pay 3.92% interest on the 30-year loan. 

City of Winder

The $10,000,000 DWSRF loan and the $8,000,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the transformation of a former rock quarry into a raw water storage pond and the installation of a new raw water intakes and pump stations, a raw water main, and a hydro-turbine renewable energy system. This project will provide drinking water storage for the cities of Winder and Auburn. The city will pay 2.25% interest on the 20-year DWSRF loan and 2.35% interest on the 20-year Georgia Fund loan. These loans qualify for a reduced interest rate due to the city being a WaterFirst Community. 

City of Wrens

The $2,313,300 DWSRF loan will finance constructing a new well and chemical building, installing a new generator, and incorporating a new SCADA system. This project will enhance water storage capacity and allow for a more proactive management of the existing water distribution system. The city will pay 1.14% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $2,081,894. 

Other GEFA Board Actions:

City of Mansfield

The board approved a $727,900 increase to a CWSRF loan originally approved in November 2021. 

 Stewart County Water and Sewage Authority

The board approved a $145,000 increase to an DWSRF loan originally approved in May 2021.