City of Cuthbert awarded low-interest loan

CUTHBERT — Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, D-Ga., applauded the recent award of an $828,000 low-interest loan to Cuthbert from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA). The loan was made through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, which is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“This award demonstrates how — working together — Georgia and the federal government can support vital projects that improve the quality of life for middle and southwest Georgia residents,” Bishop said in a news release. “Water treatment is a fundamental necessity, but the costs to update systems can sometimes be prohibitive for smaller communities. Because of the major investments Congress made in our communities through the bipartisan infrastructure law last November, Georgia will have more federal resources in the months to come in order to commit to projects like this and help save residents from higher local taxes and utilities fees.”

“These funds will be used to make major upgrades to the water sewer treatment plant,” Cuthbert Mayor Bobby Jenkins said. “A water sewer treatment plant is important for every community — for the quality of life of its residents as well as to ensure it has the capacity to support and welcome businesses into the area. Big capital improvement projects like this can be hard for smaller and rural communities’ budgets to handle — especially during tough economic times. I am glad that GEFA and the U.S. EPA are able to provide these funds and help us make the needed improvements to our wastewater system.”

The loan will finance upgrading the city’s wastewater collection system. Components of the wastewater collection system have reached the end of their service life. The city will pay 0.85% 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 $414,000.

To learn more about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund in Georgia, visit https://gefa.georgia.gov/water-resources/water-and-sewer-financing/clean-water-state-revolving-fund.

File Photo: Carlton Fletcher