Seventeen Georgia communities and The Conservation Fund were awarded financing totaling $121,106,100 for water, sewer, wastewater, and land conservation projects by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) board of directors.

Approved loans:

  • Braselton awarded a $1,900,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan
  • Cairo awarded a $800,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan
  • Camilla awarded a $1,900,000 CWSRF conservation loan, a $200,000 CWSRF loan, and a $1,400,000 DWSRF loan
  • Columbus Water Works awarded a $13,300,000 CWSRF loan
  • Conservation Fund awarded a $5,000,000 CWSRF conservation loan
  • Cuthbert awarded a $1,147,000 DWSRF loan
  • Dallas awarded a $1,834,000 CWSRF loan
  • DeKalb County awarded a $3,000,000 Georgia Fund loan
  • Flowery Branch awarded a $23,300,000 CWSRF conservation loan
  • Gainesville awarded a $28,000,000 CWSRF loan
  • Hawkinsville awarded a $1,377,500 CWSRF loan
  • Liberty County Industrial Authority awarded a $3,000,000 Georgia Fund conservation loan
  • Newton County awarded a $12,000,000 DWSRF loan
  • Social Circle awarded a $3,320,000 CWSRF conservation loan
  • Sylvester awarded a $1,925,000 CWSRF loan
  • Thomson awarded a $8,361,000 CWSRF conservation loan
  • Walker County Water and Sewerage Authority awarded a $9,000,000 CWSRF conservation loan
  • Warwick awarded a $341,600 DWSRF loan

Project and loan details:

Town of Braselton

The $1,900,000 DWSRF loan will finance restoring one mile of streambank on the Mulberry River. During Hurricane Michael, this area received 4.75 inches of rain that caused the streambank to erode and endanger the town’s water supply infrastructure. This project will stabilize the streambank and protect existing utilities. The town will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $200,000.

City of Cairo

The $800,000 CWSRF loan will finance the rehabilitation of the sewer system. During heavy rain, the city experiences sewer spills at the wastewater treatment plant. This project will eliminate significant inflow and infiltration. The city will pay no interest on the 10-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $160,000.

City of Camilla

The $1,900,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance the rehabilitation of the wastewater treatment plant and lift stations. This project will improve efficiency and enhance the treatment processes. The city will pay 0.82% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate because of a portion of the project is a conservation activity. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $950,000.

The $200,000 CWSRF loan will finance the installation of emergency bypass pumps and generators. This project will protect public health by preventing the interruption of the collection system during extreme weather. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $40,000.

The $1,400,000 DWSRF loan will finance upgrading the water distribution system. This project will install redundant distribution system components and equipment to prevent the interruption of the system during extreme weather. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $700,000.

Columbus Water Works

The $13,300,000 CWSRF loan will finance rehabilitating the city’s wastewater treatment facilities and the sewer collection system. This project will ensure treatment efficiency and reliability, improve safety, and reduce inflow and infiltration. Columbus Water Works will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because the city of Columbus is a WaterFirst Community.

Conservation Fund

The $5,000,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance the purchase of 6,278 acres of land known as the Beards Creek property for permanent conservation. This project will permanently preserve a valuable ecosystem, protect the Altamaha River watershed, and control nonpoint source pollution. The Conservation Fund will pay 0.04% interest on the 10-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate.

City of Cuthbert

The $1,147,000 DWSRF loan will finance installing water main and a backup generator and replacing fire hydrants and valves. This project will increase water system efficiency by adding volume and pressure and will provide resiliency and redundancy to the water supply. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $573,500.

City of Dallas

The $1,834,000 CWSRF loan will finance planning, designing, and permitting services to extend sewer services to the West Dallas Basin. The West Dallas Basin has six sewer lift stations and an existing flow of 0.796 million gallons per day (MGD). This project will allow for future development to the West Dallas Basin, which will generate 2.4 MGD of flow and create a centralized regional lift station. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because Dallas is a WaterFirst Community.

DeKalb County

The $3,000,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance the rehabilitation of county dams. The dams are experiencing major deficiencies including steep downstream slopes, structural deterioration, and lack of an emergency spillway. This project will increase stability, reduce overflows and seepage, and bring the dams into compliance with the Georgia Safe Dams Act. The county will pay 1.63% interest on the 20-year loan.

City of Flowery Branch

The $23,300,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance upgrading the Flowery Branch water reclamation system. The city is experiencing a high rate of commercial, industrial, and residential growth. This project will increase capacity and the treatment of phosphorus to the level that will allow the city to discharge up to 2.2 million gallons per day into Lake Lanier. The city will pay 1.04% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate.

City of Gainesville

The $28,000,000 CWSRF loan will finance the installation of force main, gravity sewer, a stormwater detention pond, and pump stations. The city is experiencing growth in the vicinity of the Athens and Gillsville Highways. This project will provide service to the Gainesville 85 Business Park and a planned 350-lot residential development. The city will pay 0.13% interest on the 20-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because Gainesville is a WaterFirst Community.

City of Hawkinsville

The $1,377,500 CWSRF loan will finance rehabilitating a lift station, installing a supervisory control and data acquisition system, and making electrical improvements at the North Wastewater Pollution Control Plant. This project will make the plant more resilient to system disruptions. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $206,621.

  Liberty County Industrial Authority

The $3,000,000 Georgia Fund conservation loan will finance the installation of an elevated storage tank and water and sewer infrastructure. This project will help support the growing needs of commercial and industrial customers at the Tradeport East Business Center. The city will pay 1.53% interest on the 20-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because this project is a conservation project.

Newton County

The $12,000,000 DWSRF loan will finance the rehabilitation of the Alcovy River pump stations and the Williams Street water treatment plant. Deficiencies within the Williams Street water treatment system prevent it from consistently producing its permitted maximum daily treatment capacity. This project will increase capacity to the permitted limits. The city will pay 0.86% interest on the 30-year loan, which is eligible for a reduced interest rate because Newton County is a WaterFirst Community.

City of Social Circle

The $3,320,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance upgrading the sewer system and performing an inflow and infiltration study. The project will ensure structural integrity of the pipes and reduce sewage overflows and energy costs. The city will pay 0.73% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate.

City of Sylvester

The $1,925,000 CWSRF loan will finance wastewater treatment improvements. During Hurricane Michael, stormwater flooded the wastewater treatment facility and caused inflow and infiltration in the sewer system. This project will improve resiliency, increase treatment capacity, and maintain effective wastewater treatment. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $275,000.

City of Thomson

The $8,361,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance improvements to the wastewater treatment plant. This project will improve the treatment processes, reduce overflows, allow for more effective wastewater treatment, and create a safe working environment for workers. The city will pay 0.91% 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.

Walker County Water and Sewerage Authority

The $9,000,000 CWSRF conservation loan will finance the construction of three pump stations and the installation of sewer main. The authority transmits wastewater to the city of Chattanooga for treatment. This project will provide the infrastructure for the authority to transmit and treat its wastewater resulting in an overall cost savings. The authority will pay 1.01% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan will finance a conservation project, which qualifies for a reduced interest rate.

City of Warwick

The $341,600 DWSRF loan will finance installing two generators and a supervisory control and data acquisition system. This project will increase the system’s reliability in the event of water system disruption. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $187,880.

Other GEFA board actions:

Town of Dooling

The board ratified an emergency loan authorized by the GEFA executive director on December 8, 2020. The town received a $43,000 Georgia Fund loan to replace groundwater filter system media. The town will pay 1.63% interest on the 20-year loan.

City of Griffin

The board approved a $3,000,000 increase to a Georgia Fund loan approved in November 2020.

City of Ludowici

The board ratified an emergency loan authorized by the GEFA executive director on December 22, 2020. The city received a $379,000 Georgia Fund conservation loan to replace three pump stations. The city will pay 0.74% interest on the 20-year loan. The loan qualified for a reduced interest rate because a portion of the project is a conservation activity.

City of Metter

The board ratified an emergency loan authorized by the GEFA executive director on November 10, 2020. The city received a $147,000 Georgia Fund loan to replace a pump station. The city will pay 0.21% interest on the five-year loan.

Loan Program Policy

The board approved GEFA loan program policy updates related to financing land conservation projects.

Resolution

The board approved a resolution to declare well property in Flowery Branch as surplus.