Georgia communities, including Albany, receive infrastructure loans totaling $39.3 million

ATLANTA  – Twelve Georgia communities, including Albany, were awarded financing totaling $39,328,700 for water, wastewater, sewer, and solid waste projects by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) board of directors.

The $3,500,000 lead service line loan in Albany will finance replacing potential lead and galvanized service lines in the water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $770,000

Other approved loans include:

• Comer awarded a $1,500,000 Georgia Fund loan;
• Coosa Water Authority awarded a $3,300,000 DWSRF loan;
• Covington awarded a $12,000,000 Clean Water State Revolving loan;
• Laurens County Solid Waste Management Authority awarded a $5,251,500 Georgia Fund;
• Manchester awarded a $2,244,700 lead service line loan;
• Millen awarded a $2,000,000 lead service line loan;
• Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority awarded a $622,000 Georgia Fund loan;
• Nashville awarded a $550,000 lead service line loan;
• Norman Park awarded a $3,161,000 Georgia Fund;
• Sparta awarded a $3,199,500 loan;
• Twiggs County awarded a $2,000,000 Georgia Fund loan.

Other area project and loan details:.

Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority: The $622,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance extending the city of Moultrie’s sanitary sewer system to the authority’s industrial park, which will support anticipated economic development in the area. The authority will pay 3.24% on the 20-year loan. The loan qualifies for a reduced interest rate due to GEFA’s affordability criteria.

City of Nashville: The $550,000 lead service line loan will finance an inventory and replacement of potential lead and galvanized service lines in the water system. The city will pay no interest on the 20-year loan. The city is eligible for principal forgiveness up to $198,000.

City of Norman Park: The $3,161,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. This project will address the issues at the water pollution control plant and bring the system into compliance. The city will pay no interest on the 30-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 $2,844,900.

Other GEFA Board Actions:

Newton County: The board approved a scope modification to a $12,000,000 loan originally approved in January 2021 and a previous increase in November 2022.

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.

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, headquartered in Atlanta, provides financing for a variety of energy, land, and water projects. Since 1986, GEFA has approved financial commitments totaling almost $6 billion to local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

For more information, visit gefa.georgia.gov, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

A $3,500,000 GEFA infrastructure lead service line loan in Albany will finance replacing potential lead and galvanized service lines in the water system.

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