CWSRF
PISCES AWAR
PERFORMANCE AND
INNOVATION IN THE
SRF CREATING
ENVIRONMENTAL
5 UCCESS
006
Award
Winners
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ABOUT THE AWARDS
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
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Dear Colleagues:
I want to congratulate each of the winners of the 2nd annual Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating
Environmental Success (PISCES) Awards! The PISCES Awards acknowledge and promote program innovations that
advance EPA goals of performance and water quality protection.
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) finances innovative projects that increase the sustainability of
wastewater infrastructure across the nation. For the first time, the 2006 PISCES Awards provide recognition of CWSRF
borrowers that achieved significant environmental and economic benefits with innovative and effective projects.
Each State SRF program was given the opportunity to nominate one of its CWSRF projects for a PISCES Award.
The nominees had to demonstrate leadership and innovation in one of the following criteria:
• financing,
• project implementation,
• partnerships, or
• sustainable infrastructure.
The PISCES Award winners will be announced at the national meeting of the Council for Infrastructure Finance
Authorities (CIFA) in Philadelphia, PA in November 2006. EPA regions will present the winning projects with a plaque
and certificate at a later date.
I am pleased to share with you the winners of the 2006 PISCES Awards.
Sincerely,
Benjamin H. Grumbles
Assistant Administrator
(4^'}
Clean Water VjwNt/
SLate Revolving Fund ^ PRo^
Cover Photos:
Top
Dearborn, MI: Construction of the sinking caisson for a new 136-foot
inside diameter capture shaft.
Middle
Missoula, MT: Interior photo of the wastewater treatment facility.
Bottom
Hartselle, AL: Project site sign announcing CWSRF funding.
Photo at Right:
City ofBayfield and Pike's Bay Sanitary District, WI: Construction of
the joint wastewater treatment facility.
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2DD6 WINNERS
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
REGION 1
GREENVILLE ESTATES VILLAGE
DISTRICT, NH
Greenville Estates, a mobile home park, entered into an
agreement with the Town of Greenville that Greenville
Estates be established as a"Village District"making it eligi-
ble for SRF funds. The District received two CWSRF bridge
loans totaling $1.7 million, which it repaid with Rural
Development grants and state grants. The funds were used
to replace failing septic systems with a sewer collection sys-
tem and pumping stations to deliver wastewater to the
Town of Greenville.
REGION 2
ATLANTIC COUNTY UTILITIES
AUTHORITY, NJ
The Atlantic County Utilities Authority used a $2.1 mil-
lion CWSRF loan and $1.9 million in rebates from the
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to implement a pho-
tovoltaic generation system at its wastewater treatment
facility. Since it went into operation in October 2005, the
system has generated over 390,000 kW hours of electrici-
ty, eliminating the need for 388 barrels of crude oil and
reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately
660,000 pounds. Energy cost savings are projected to be
at least $115,000 per year.
REGION 3
CITY OF ROCKVILLE, MD
A $1.4 million CWSRF loan funded the planning, design,
and restoration of the main stem of Watts Branch. The
restoration included enhancement of existing wetlands,
restoring a stream buffer, stabilizing 4,000 feet of eroding
stream bank and upgrading storm drain outfalls. This
project helps reduce non-point source pollution in streams
and the Chesapeake Bay, and enhances aquatic habitat.
This was the first project in Maryland to benefit from a 0%
interest rate CWSRF loan - a part of the Governor's effort
to encourage more non-point source projects.
CITY OF LYNCHBURG, VA
The City of Lynchburg developed a three-part plan to
address the city's combined sewer overflow (CSO) prob-
lems by utilizing complete sewer separation, rainleader
disconnection, and interceptor replacement. The project
has closed 97 of the 132 originally identified CSO points
and has reduced overflow volume in the James River by
78%. The city has borrowed $70,000,000 from the
Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund for the direct
costs associated with the CSO program.
AMD RECLAMATION, DUNKARD
TOWNSHIP, PA
AMD Reclamation, Inc. received an SRF loan of $4.3 mil-
lion to help build an acid mine drainage treatment facili-
ty and outfall sewer, preventing the discharge of raw
mine water into the area's surface waters. The creation
of the acid mine drainage pond not only protected sur-
face waters but allowed an existing mine to be reopened
creating an economic benefit to the community. This
was the nation's first CWSRF loan to address acid mine
drainage.
REGION 4
HOLLOWAY TECHNOLOGY INC.,
LEESBURG, FL
Holloway which received a $226,935 CWSRF loan in
2003, has developed a process for large-scale irrigation of
plants, which uses approximately 20% less water per
plant than conventional irrigation systems. The closed-
loop system has not drawn any water from surface,
ground, or aquifer sources since 1998, and has no agri-
cultural wastewater runoff. To date, it has conserved over
100 million gallons of water.
HARTSELLE UTILITIES, HARTSELLE, AL
Hartselle initiated an Inflow/Infiltration (I/I) Mitigation
Program in 2000 to eliminate surcharging and sanitary
sewer overflows (SSO) and restore capacity to the collec-
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2DD6 WINNERS
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
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tion system. The program has resulted in an estimated
reduction of I/I flows of over 20%. As of 2005 there have
been no SSO attributable to excessive I/I flows. By using
a combination of low-interest CWSRF loans and grant
funds, the utility was able to eliminate two proposed rate
increases.
CITY OF JUMPERTOWN, MS
A combination of a CWSRF loan and four grants were
used to construct a collection system, lift station, pump-
ing stations, and treatment facilities in this previously
unsewered community. Failing septic systems caused
partially treated wastewater to fill the community's ditch-
es and streams, leading to health and environmental
problems. Jumpertown's persistence in obtaining the
needed funding from a variety of sources enabled this
small but growing community to overcome the serious
issues that many small communities are facing today.
CITY OF WILSON, NC
Wilson utilized several funding sources including $32.3
million in CWSRF loans to improve the city's solids pro-
cessing and create a water reclamation system as part of
an overall strategy to improve water quality in the Neuse
River Basin. The increase in quality of the residual from
the solids processing reduced land application costs by
30% and provides $60,000 in natural gas savings for the
system. When constructing the 6.0 MGD water recla-
mation facility, an abandoned polishing pond was
reused as a storage pond to conserve funds. Wilson cre-
ated a fee program that gives an incentive to use
reclaimed water thus conserving water resources and
increasing nutrient removal.
REGION 5
CITY OF EVANSTON, IL
Evanston has worked to eliminate combined sewer over-
flow problems by building the capacity needed to access
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago's (MWRDGC) North Side Water Reclamation
Plant. This $152 million project required 25 CWSRF
loans since 1991, and involved an innovative partnership
with MWRDGC, saving the city millions of dollars in
additional expenses.
CITY OF WEST LAFAYETTE, IN
West Lafayette used CWSRF financing to establish a Fats,
Oils and Grease Program, as well as a Cogeneration
Facility at its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The
WWTP is receiving and treating fats, oils and grease to
produce methane gas and an earth-like byproduct. The
methane is used to generate electricity, providing envi-
ronmental as well as economic benefits.
CITY OF DEARBORN, Ml
The City of Dearborn has utilized nearly $148 million in
CWSRF loans to fund a multi-year project to combat
combined sewer overflow at seventeen outfalls along the
Rouge River and Lower Rouge River. After an attempted
tunnel project was hampered by difficult hydrological
conditions, the city turned to an innovative treatment
shaft design to treat and divert the CSO. This cost-saving
decision reduced total project costs by an estimated $150
million over the course of the planning efforts.
CITY OF BAYFIELD AND
PIKE'S BAY SANITARY DISTRICT, Wl
When wastewater treatment facilities in Bayfield and
Pike's Bay exceeded their capacity and useful life
expectancies, these two small communities built a joint
wastewater treatment facility. The new facility utilizes
multiple treatment technologies to produce effluent with
70% fewer pollutants than typical treatment plants,
thereby protecting the health of nearby Lake Superior.
The project employed CWSRF loans totaling $3.6 million
along with 10 other funding mechanisms, eliminating the
need for increases in user charges.
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2DD6 WINNERS
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
City ofBayfield and Pike's Bay Sanitary District, WI: View of the joint
wastewater treatment facility constructed by the two communities using
CWSRFfunds.
REGION 6
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY,
LITTLE ROCK, AR
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased 4,361 acres of
bottomland hardwood wetlands to preserve and restore
prime wildlife habitat along the Cache and Bayou
DeView Rivers. TNC purchased the property when the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was unable to
make the purchase. After restoring the property, TNC
sold the property in pieces, as the USFWS obtained the
needed appropriations. The CWSRF loan was repaid
within three years.
TOWN OF HENDERSON, LA
Henderson was an unsewered community with approxi-
mately 2,000 residents and a median household income
below the state's average. Many of the on-site septic sys-
tems were inadequate or failing, making a wastewater
treatment and collection system a necessity. The $4.2
million project was funded with a combination of loans
and grants from CWSRF, RUS, and CDBG, as well as a
hardship grant, allowing the town to lower user fees to
$25 per month.
CITY OF Rio RANCHO, N M
The City of Rio Rancho used a $10 million CWSRF loan
to finance upgrades to its wastewater treatment system.
Upgrades included the addition of denitrification facili-
ties, biological nutrient removal and a new lift station
and forcemain to the system. One of the fastest-growing
cities in the Southwest, it actively promotes sustainability
and conservation. Its Water Resources Management Plan
seeks ways to allow the population to grow while con-
serving its limited water resources.
TULSA METROPOLITAN UTILITY
AUTHORITY, TULSA, OK
The City of Tulsa has received $250 million in CWSRF
loans (as well as significant loan and grant funds from
other sources) since 1990 to correct sanitary sewage sys-
tem illegal discharges and meet wastewater environmen-
tal infrastructure needs. Through the construction and
rehabilitation projects, the city eliminated excess flows.
The City's interest rate savings from utilizing CWSRF
funds are estimated to exceed $100 million.
HIGH ISLAND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL
DISTRICT, GALVESTON COUNTY, TX
The District replaced inadequate septic systems with a
low pressure septic tank pump system and a constructed
wetlands treatment system, reducing point and nonpoint
source pollution. The project utilized a $250,000 CWSRF
loan and Federal and State grants. In addition, the land
was donated by the Audubon Society, and has been
restored as a wildlife/bird watching area. The CWSRF
loan helped the District capitalize on its only revenue
source, school property taxes.
REGION a
CITY OF FORT COLLINS, CD
The City of Fort Collins obtained a $9.9 million loan from
the CWSRF to upgrade its storm water system and
increase capacity to provide an adequate level of protec-
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ZDD6 WINNERS
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
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tion. The major components of the upgrade included
reinforced concrete pipes, grated curb inlet systems, and
a water quality treatment pond system. The city found
that installing a new system using innovative construc-
tion methods and materials while maintaining much of
the existing storm water system was the most cost effec-
tive option to meet their needs.
I CITY OF
I MISSOULA, MT
f! The city utilized over $12
million in CWSRF loan
funds to upgrade the
capacity of the city's
wastewater treatment
plant in order to accom-
modate a growing popu-
lation. The project also
converted the existing
activated sludge second-
ary treatment system to a
biological nutrient
removal (BNR) process, reducing nitrogen and phospho-
rus loading in the Clark Fork River by 70 and 80%,
respectively. The project was funded though diverse
financing mechanisms, including the CWSRF loan, there-
by allowing the citizens of Missoula to maintain some of
the lowest sewer rates in Montana.
PICKEREL LAKE SANITARY DISTRICT,
GRENVILLE, SD
Pickerel Lake has approximately 950 seasonal and per-
manent residents. The homes were served by individual
septic systems, which were suspected of causing exces-
sive fecal bacterial levels in the lake. Two CWSRF loans
totaling $1.5 million, along with $600,000 in state grants,
financed the construction of a small diameter septic tank
effluent pump collection system and an artificial wetland
treatment system to replace the septic systems. The
City of Missoula, MT: Wastewater
treatment facility along the Clark
Fork River.
District also gave residents several payment options to
help reduce the amount each resident would pay over
the life of the loans.
CITY OF CHEYENNE, WY
Cheyenne used CWSRF funds to renovate and upgrade
its water reclamation facilities, allowing the reclaimed
water to be used for land application and extending the
life of the city's water treatment facility. The city used a
collaborative decision making process in bringing togeth-
er contractors, subcontractors, consultants, regulators,
SRF and local representatives prior to beginning the proj-
ect to discuss every aspect of the process and predict
potential pitfalls. At $40 million, this is Wyoming's
largest CWSRF loan.
REGION 9
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, SAN
FRANCISCO, CA
The Nature Conservancy used $17 million in CWSRF
loans to partially finance the acquisition of three proper-
ties that provided significant watershed restoration and
preservation. The project will conserve the watersheds by
protecting the land from overgrazing, urban encroach-
ment, or vineyard conversion. As one of its achieve-
ments, the project protected the Palo Corona Ranch from
imminent development that would have increased sedi-
mentation and storm water runoff, and threatened to
impair coastal and aquatic resources.
CITY OF BULLHEAD CITY, AZ
Bullhead City received a $31 million CWSRF loan to
complete the third and final phase of its city-wide sewer-
ing project. The city conducted an extensive public rela-
tions campaign, including newsletters and open-houses.
In addition, residents could arrange for a consultant to
visit their property to explain how they would be affected
by the project. By moving from septic systems to sewers,
the city helps prevent contamination to the Colorado
River, also benefiting residents of California and Mexico.
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2DD6 WINNERS
Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT,
COUNTY or MAUI, HI
Maui installed a new force main along a major road in
Lahaina and modified two wastewater pump stations in
a $3.3 million project utilizing CWSRF funds. The force
main was rerouted to avoid potential contamination of
the nearby shoreline.
WASHOE COUNTY, NV
Washoe County and the Cities of Reno and Sparks
agreed to purchase water rights to the Truckee River and
Pyramid Lake and dedicate the water to instream flows.
A CWSRF loan helped finance the purchase of the water
rights. This transaction will help improve the water qual-
ity in the river and the lake, which had been impacted by
the discharge of treated wastewater, nonpoint source
pollution, and water diversions. Pyramid Lake is home
to endangered and threatened fish species, and is essen-
tial to the Paiute Tribe reservation. The cities, county,
state, federal governments and the tribe worked closely
together to come to this solution.
REGION 1 D
ANCHORAGE WATER AND WASTEWATER
UTILITY, ANCHORAGE, AK
AWWU used a combination of Clean Water and
Drinking Water SRF loans to construct a new remote
supervision facility. This will allow the utility to ensure
that unattended and remote treatment facilities are prop-
erly operating and problems are corrected before public
health hazards arise. Data collected through this new
remote system will allow the utility to link water usage to
energy consumption and build a more accurate dynamic
hydraulic model for the water and wastewater systems.
The utility is saving $4.1 million in interest on this 20-
year, $9 million loan.
Hood River, OR: Canal pipe crossing
the main stem of the Hood River.
FARMER'S
IRRIGATION
DISTRICT,
HOOD RIVER, OR
A multifaceted sustain-
ability plan carried out by
the nonprofit Farmer's
Irrigation District used
CWSRF funds to improve
water quality and flow in
the Hood River. The
project installed continu-
ous flow vortex tubes and
silt management struc-
tures, and replaced open ditches with pipe, reducing the
quantity of chemicals, sewage and sediments entering the
river. The District also carried out a low-flow sprinkler
head exchange program, installed flow meters and
restrictors, and ran an education program to encourage
water conservation. The project improved Hood River
flow by 5 cfs, increasing hydroelectric generation by
1,113,000 kWh annually.
LOTT WASTEWATER ALLIANCE,
OLYMPIA, WA
The Cities of Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater came
together to form the LOTT Wastewater Alliance, creating
a Wastewater Resource Treatment Plan. The plan involves
three Reclaimed Water Satellites, the first of which has
been constructed in Lacey, WA. The Hawks Prairie
Reclaimed Water Satellite includes a reclaimed water
plant, wetland ponds, groundwater recharge basins, and
conveyance pipelines. The public was involved and kept
informed throughout the project through update mail-
ings, workshops, and involving nearby residents in the
design of the facility.
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Clean Water
State Revolving Fund
Office of Water • November 2006 • EPA 832-F-06-040
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