Sixteen Georgia communities were awarded financing totaling $134,046,650 for water, sewer, wastewater, and solid waste infrastructure improvements by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) board of directors.

Approved loans:

  • Barwick awarded a $500,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) conservation loan
  • Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water & Sewer Commission awarded a $7,500,000 DWSRF conservation loan
  • Columbus Water Works awarded a $24,705,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan and a $22,439,000 DWSRF loan
  • Dudley awarded a $725,650 DWSRF loan
  • Flowery Branch awarded a $5,710,000 DWSRF conservation loan
  • Gainesville awarded a $22,500,000 CWSRF and a $10,000,000 DWSRF loan
  • Griffin awarded a $9,137,100 CWSRF loan, a $3,442,900 DWSRF loan, and a $3,000,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Macon Water Authority awarded a $9,300,000 DWSRF conservation loan
  • Ochlocknee awarded a $118,000 CWSRF loan and a $1,195,000 DWSRF loan
  • Pembroke awarded a $603,000 CWSRF conservation loan
  • Pickens County awarded a $525,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Roswell awarded a $3,000,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Savannah Economic Development Authority awarded a $6,500,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Warwick awarded a $356,000 DWSRF conservation loan
  • Washington awarded a $290,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Waycross awarded a $2,500,000 CWSRF conservation loan

Project and loan details:

City of Barwick

The $500,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance installing water main, valves, hydrants, and an automatic meter reading (AMR) system. This project will improve the city’s water conservation, reduce the operation costs of reading meters, and prevent system disruption. The city will pay 0.13% 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 $200,000.

Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water & Sewer Commission

The $7,500,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance replacing manual-read water meters with an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system. This project will reduce leaks, increase billing accuracy, and improve meter reading efficiency. The commission will pay 0.07% interest on the 15-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate.

Columbus Water Works

The $24,705,000 CWSRF loan will finance the rehabilitation of the city’s wastewater treatment facilities and sewer collection system. The project will ensure treatment efficiency, increase treatment capacity, and reduce inflow and infiltration. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan.

The $22,439,000 DWSRF loan will finance upgrading the water treatment plant, water storage tanks, and water main. The project will restore redundancy at the plant, improve system-wide efficiency, and optimize the treatment process. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan.

The city is eligible for reduced interest rates because it is a WaterFirst Community.

City of Dudley

The $725,650 DWSRF loan will finance the construction of an elevated water storage tank, the installation of a backup generator and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, and the creation an Emergency Response Plan. This project will increase system resiliency in case of water system disruptions. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $200,000.

City of Flowery Branch

The $5,710,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance the purchase of a new well system. This project will increase water supply to the city. The city will pay 0.99% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because a portion of the project is a conservation activity.

City of Gainesville

The $22,500,000 CWSRF loan will finance upgrading the Flat Creek Water Reclamation Facility. The facility is not able to handle the proposed flows of future developments in the area. The project will ensure adequate treatment capacity and accommodate future growth. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan.

The $10,000,000 DWSRF loan will finance upgrading the Lakeside Water Treatment Plant and the Riverside Treatment Plant. This project will enhance treatment process operations and ensure optimal performance. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan.

The city is eligible for reduced interest rates because it is a WaterFirst Community.

City of Griffin

The $9,137,100 CWSRF loan will finance the installation of sludge processing equipment and a sludge drying facility at the city’s wastewater treatment plants. The project will reduce the liquid content of the sludge, resulting in lower disposal fees. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan.

The $3,442,900 DWSRF loan will finance the installation of alum sludge processing equipment at the city’s water treatment plants. This project will reduce the liquid content of the sludge, resulting in lower disposal fees. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan.

The $3,000,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the rehabilitation of the Heads Creek Dam and the construction of a new raw water intake structure. The city experienced a significant rain event that eroded a section of the dam’s spillway. This project will ensure compliance with the Georgia Safe Dams Act. The city will pay 0.63% interest on the 20-year loan.

The city is eligible for reduced interest rates because it is a WaterFirst Community.

Macon Water Authority

The $9,300,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance installing an automatic meter reading (AMR) system. This project will enhance the reliability of the water system by conserving water, improving leak detection, identifying customer consumption, and reducing costs associated with manually reading meters. The authority will pay 0.04% interest on the 10-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate.

Town of Ochlocknee

The $118,000 CWSRF loan will finance installing two emergency generators. During extended power outages, the town experiences sewer spills when the pump stations lose power. This project will protect public health and provide backup power supply at the town’s two pump stations. The town will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The town is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $13,620.

The $1,195,000 DWSRF loan will finance constructing an elevated water storage tank and a water treatment building. The loan will also finance a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and an emergency generator. This project will improve the water pressure throughout the system, ensure compliance with state regulations, and help maintain a safe drinking water supply during power outages. The town will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The town is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $478,000.

City of Pembroke

The $603,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance rehabilitating sewer main and manholes. The project will ensure structural integrity of the pipes, reduce sewage overflows, and address environmental health concerns. The city will pay 0.13% 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 $211,050.

Pickens County

The $525,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the installation of sewer main and a pump station to transmit wastewater from the Airport Drive Industrial Park to the city of Jasper. This project will support current and future development at the industrial park. The county will pay 1.63% interest on the 20-year loan.

City of Roswell

The $3,000,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the construction of a new solid waste transfer station. The city’s current transfer station is undersized and in need of significant repairs. This project will accommodate the growing needs of the city. The city will pay 0.63% interest on the 20-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because the city of Roswell is a WaterFirst Community.

Savannah Economic Development Authority

The $6,500,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance installing water and sewer infrastructure in the city of Bloomingdale. This project will provide support for the growing needs of residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The authority will pay 1.22% interest on the 15-year loan.

City of Warwick

The $356,000 DWSRF conservation loan will finance installing water main and a new automatic meter reading (AMR) system. This project will improve water conservation, provide real-time consumption data, and recapture lost revenue. The city will pay 0.13% 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 $195,574.

City of Washington

The $290,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the purchase of a sanitation truck and 2,100 rolling garbage canisters. The city’s sanitation personnel currently retrieve household garbage from the backyards of private residences. This project will implement a mandatory curbside garbage pickup program to improve efficiencies and minimize risks associated with city personnel entering private yards. The city will pay 0.15% interest on the 5-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because the city of Washington is a PlanFirst Community.

City of Waycross

The $2,500,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance upgrading the Waycross Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant was constructed in 1959 and the equipment, piping, and valves have stopped working properly. This project will replace and rehabilitate the equipment to improve reliability and efficiency at the plant. The city will pay 0.89% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because a portion of the project is a conservation activity. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $1,100,000.

Other GEFA board actions:

Board Member Resolutions

Boyd Austin Jr., former mayor of the city of Dallas, and Jason Winters, sole commissioner of Chattooga County, were recognized for their service to the GEFA board and the state of Georgia.

City of Bowden

The board approved a $52,500 increase and scope modification to a $162,900 Georgia Fund emergency loan approved in April 2020.

Bryan County Board of Commissioners

The board approved a $1,406,000 increase to a Georgia Fund loan approved in November 2017.

City of Clayton

The board approved a $1,000,000 increase to a $750,000 Georgia Fund loan approved in November 2014.

City of Concord

The board approved a scope modification to a $270,000 DWSRF conservation loan approved in November 2019.

City of Davisboro

The board approved a $1,169,000 increase to a CWSRF loan approved in January 2018.

City of Waycross

The board approved a scope modification to a $1,600,000 DWSRF loan approved in May 2020.