Nine Georgia communities were awarded financing totaling $7,599,000 for water, sewer, and wastewater infrastructure improvements by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) board of directors.

Approved loans:

  • Bronwood awarded a $148,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) conservation loan
  • Concord awarded a $270,000 DWSRF conservation loan
  • Dexter awarded a $425,000 DWSRF loan
  • Garden City awarded a $2,000,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Montezuma awarded a $1,150,000 DWSRF conservation loan
  • Ocilla awarded a $675,000 DWSRF loan
  • Pooler awarded a $1,600,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Social Circle awarded a $925,000 DWSRF conservation loan
  • Turin awarded a $406,000 DWSRF loan

Project and loan details:

City of Bronwood

The $148,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance installing water main and valves. The city is experiencing excess water loss due to aging and leaking water main. This project will reduce water loss and recapture lost revenue. The city will pay 0.94% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $66,600.

City of Concord  

The $270,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance replacing manual-read water meters with an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system. The city is not capturing its full revenue potential due to meter inaccuracies and is unable to quickly identify leaks. The project will reduce water loss and increase billing accuracy and meter reading efficiency. The city will pay 0.57% interest on the 15-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $108,000.

Town of Dexter

The $425,000 DWSRF loan will finance constructing a new well and well house and installing chemical feed equipment. The town’s water is provided by two wells. One of the wells was recently abandoned due to surface water intrusion. This project will help the town provide safe drinking water to its customers. The town will pay 1.94% on the 20-year loan.

City of Garden City

The $2,000,000 Georgia Fund will finance installing a metering station and connecting to the city of Savannah. This project will provide water and fire protection to a planned warehouse development. It will also provide water service to 15 existing commercial and industrial businesses. These improvements will continue to support the economic development of the Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City Terminal. The city will pay 1.44% interest on the 20-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because Garden City is a WaterFirst Community.

City of Montezuma

The $1,150,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance replacing manual-read meters with an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system and replacing a section of water main. This project will reduce water loss, enhance system reliability, and lower operation costs. The city will pay 0.57% interest on the 15-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $517,500.

City of Ocilla

The $675,000 DWSRF loan will finance the construction of a new water supply well, chemical feed building, and telemetry system. The city has one water supply well and its backup well is experiencing mechanical failure. This project will ensure adequate water supply, provide redundancy, and address public health concerns. The city will pay 1.94% on the 20-year loan, which includes principal forgiveness up to $236,250.

City of Pooler

The $1,600,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance installing water infrastructure to provide service to unserved portions of the city and undeveloped tracts of land ready for development. This project will provide water to portions of incorporated Pooler to support economic development in the city. The city will pay 1.44% interest on the 20-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because Pooler is a WaterFirst Community.

City of Social Circle

The $925,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance installing water mains. The city’s water main is undersized, aging, and leaking. This project will improve system pressures, increase reliability, and reduce water loss. The city will pay 0.94% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate.

Town of Turin

The $406,000 DWSRF loan will finance the installation of a filtration system to remove iron and manganese dissolved solids from the well water. The town was receiving customer complaints about their water color and odor. The filtration system will eliminate this issue. The city will pay 1.94% on the 20-year loan.

Other GEFA board actions:

Board Member Resolutions

The board approved resolutions recognizing former members for their service to the GEFA board and the state of Georgia—Tift County Commission Chairman Grady Thompson, White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner, and Stephen Gray.

Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority

The board approved removing special conditions on three loans previously awarded to the Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority.

Principal Forgiveness Increases

The board approved 31 principal forgiveness increases for CWSRF and DWSRF loans previously approved in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

City of Sandersville

The board approved a $1,345,000 increase to a $6,414,000 CWSRF loan approved in August 2018.

The board approved a $418,000 increase to a $3,458,000 DWSRF loan approved in August 2018.

Additional information:

The CWSRF provides low-interest loans for wastewater and water pollution control infrastructure. These projects conserve and improve water resources and facilitate economic development. The program is jointly funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Georgia.

The DWSRF provides low-interest loans for infrastructure projects that deliver safe, affordable drinking water. These projects conserve and improve water resources and facilitate economic development. The program is jointly funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Georgia.

The Georgia Fund, a state-funded program, provides low-interest loans for water, wastewater, water conservation, and solid waste infrastructure projects. Eligible projects include water and sewer lines, treatment plants, pumping stations, wells, water storage tanks, and water meters. These projects conserve and improve water resources and facilitate economic development.

GEFA offers a reduced interest rate for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at water and wastewater treatment plants, landfills, and municipal solid waste facilities; water conservation projects in the areas of water loss and end-use water efficiency; and nonpoint source pollution control projects.

WaterFirst recognizes local governments for achieving excellence in water resources management. Becoming a WaterFirst Community demonstrates a local government's commitment to responsible water stewardship for environmental and economic benefits. Communities that earn the WaterFirst designation are eligible for an interest rate reduction.