Removing groundwater infiltration will improve treatment system performance and efficiency by increasing the wastewater detention time through the lagoon and will result in decreased construction cost for future treatment system improvements.
Winifred town officials and their engineer, Big Sky Civil & Environmental, Inc., have worked with various state agencies to pull together funding for the project. One of these funding sources is the WPCSRF program administered by the DEQ and the Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC). The ARRA funds include $291,400 in principal forgiveness and $268,000 at 0.75% interest rate. Typical ARRA loan terms through the WPCSRF program are for 20 years. Construction on the project is expected to be complete in late 2009.
Through the State Revolving Fund programs, the DEQ and the DNRC work together to loan money to public entities across the state, helping communities and organizations undertake a variety of water quality improvement projects. The DEQ oversees implementation of each project, while the DNRC administers the loan. The agencies award about $20 million to $40 million each year. The loan programs are supported in part by annual grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
