EPA Announces $137 Million Water Infrastructure Loan to the City

WAUKESHA, WI— U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced on Wednesday, a $137 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Waukesha to help implement the Great Lakes Water Supply Project.

“This WIFIA loan will provide the City of Waukesha with a new, safer source of drinking water from Lake Michigan, while saving the City approximately $38 million when compared to typical bond financing,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in EPA press release.

“In the past three years, the Trump administration has invested $38 billion dollars in clean water infrastructure, supporting 7,000 projects, and helping create 21,000 jobs across this great nation. I’m pleased that Waukesha’s residents will now be assured of cleaner water for decades to come," Wheeler said in a press release.

The Great Lakes Water Supply Project will provide the City of Waukesha with a new, safer source for drinking water. The project includes the construction of infrastructure to obtain, store, and distribute drinking water from Milwaukee Water Works to City of Waukesha customers.

It also includes the pumps and pipes needed to return treated wastewater to Lake Michigan via the Root River, the release said.

“Waukesha’s current water supply is severely drawn down and contaminated with naturally-occurring radium. Our Lake Michigan water supply project will ensure that our community can rely on a safe and sustainable water supply for generations to come,” said Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly in the release.

This project will cost approximately $300 million, and EPA’s WIFIA loan will finance nearly half of that figure. Wisconsin Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loans will also fund a portion of the project costs. The WIFIA loan will save the City of Waukesha an estimated $35.9 million compared to typical bond financing. Project construction and operation are expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs, the release said.

For more information about the WIFIA program, visit https://www.epa.gov/wifia.