PISCES
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i
DIRECTOR'S ADDRESS
2021 marks the fifth year that we recognize clean water projects that
demonstrate excellence through the George F. Ames Performance
and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES)
program. In addition to the cost saving benefits of the Clean Water
State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), one of the strengths of the program
is the wide variety of eligible projects that can be funded. The
projects highlighted in this compendium demonstrate this benefit,
as they represent the diversity of project types and communities
that CWSRF programs support in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Throughout these pages, you will also see partnerships that have
formed across the country between the CWSRF programs and
cities, utilities, tribes, and farmers. By coming together, we have the
opportunity to provide water quality benefits to Americans
and promote EPAs mission of protecting human health and the
environment.
I congratulate all the assistance recipients recognized in this
compendium, and I thank the CWSRF programs that highlighted
them for recognition. We appreciate your dedication to
ensuring water quality in our communities and as well as your
commendable commitment to the continuing success of this
important program. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Andrew Sawyers, Ph.D., Director
Office of Wastewater Management
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Recognizing Success
Nominations for the 2021 PISCES program were based on the following
criteria categories. EPA selected one project from each category to be
recognized as an Exceptional Project based on the project's overall impact in
the category.
Innovative Financing: Uses a creative financing mechanism that aligns
with the needs of the community.
System Partnerships: Creates a partnership that brings together
stakeholder groups and resources to create a collaborative approach to
addressing water quality needs.
Community Engagement: Involves the community during the project
design or includes a project element that encourages community
engagement.
Environmental and Public Health Protection: Employs a sophisticated
approach to addressing water quality. These projects may include
preemptive treatments, reduction in capacity loading, use of new
technologies, or other aspects that focus on innovative design.
Problem Solving: Uses an unconventional approach in meeting the
community's needs.
Table of Contents
~
Director's Address ¦
Recognizing Success ii
Project Map 1
Project List 2
Exceptional Projects 3
Honorable Mentions 8
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Projects Recognized by the George F. Ames
PISCES Program - 2021
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Recognized projects are shaded in dark gray.
Exceptional Projects are outlined in dashed green.
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Recognized Projects
1 Arizona
Flagstaff Watershed Protection
1 Washington
Mashel River Protection
Exceptional
1 Virginia
Agriculture BMPs
1 Iowa
ReHarvest Pay for Success
1 Oklahoma
Bartlesville's Indirect Potable Water Reuse Solution
Alabama
Mobile Master Plan Phase 1
Arkansas
Clarifier Repair
Delaware
Comfort Burton Land Conservation Sponsorship
Georgia
Stormwater System Improvements
Indiana
Wastewater Improvements
Kansas
Rock Creek Stream Bank Stabilization
Louisiana
North WWTP Improvements
Maryland
Back River WWTP
Honorable
Massachusetts
York Street Pump Station and Connecticut River Crossing
Mention
Michigan
Lansing CSO Sub-Area 034C Project
New Hampshire
Peirce Island WWTF Upgrade
New Mexico
Roosevelt County Fairgrounds Stormwater
New York
Sauquoit Creek Floodplain Restoration
North Carolina
Wardola-Thompson School Creek Restoration
Ohio
Butler Regional WWTP
Pennsylvania
Agricultural BMPs
Rhode Island
Charlotte Hope Plaza Stormwater
South Dakota
Tea Sanitary Sewer Regionalization
Tennessee
Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements
Texas
Regional Wastewater Improvements
West Virginia
Wastewater System and Infiltration/Inflow Rehabilitation
Wisconsin
Bluffview Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade
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3
Excellence in Environmental
and Public Health Protection
Water Infrastructure Finance Authority
Project: Flagstaff Watershed Protection
Recipient: City of Flagstaff
The forests surrounding Flagstaff have evolved for thousands of years to survive frequent, low-intensity
wildfires ignited by seasonal lightning storms. Over the past century, these landscapes have transformed
through fire suppression-based management practices. It is now understood that these conditions increase
the risk of unnatural, high-intensity fires, which impact nearby water resources. The build-up of vegetation,
steadily declining precipitation, and climbing temperatures create ideal conditions for more frequent and
dangerously intense wildfires. After a high-intensity fire, soils become hydrophobic, which can create flash
flooding events that carry large amounts of debris, ash, chemicals, and sediment to nearby waterbodies. To
protect water resources and avoid catastrophic wildfire damage, the City of Flagstaff created the Flagstaff
Watershed Protection Project (FWPP). The project will reduce the risk of high-intensity fires and post-
fire flooding across two priority watersheds. The FWPP features numerous benefits, including preserving
drinking water treatment costs; protecting watershed health, human health, wildlife habitat, biodiversity,
and old-growth trees; preserving property and recreational values; increased local economic prosperity;
and creating restoration-based employment opportunities. This project will engage in modernized forest
management practices on roughly 10,000 acres by reducing dry debris and thinning the forest by removing
small and/or medium diameter trees. These practices have been proven to be effective in preventing
significant environmental, financial, and social impacts from wildfires.
A resiliency project this large in scale is expensive to undertake, so the City worked with the Water
Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) and the Coconino National Forest to fund the FWPP. WIFA
provided a CWSRF loan for $6 million with $1 million in loan forgiveness to the City to invest in this $10
million project. The environmental and public health benefits of this expansive project are numerous and
support a forward approach in using modernized wildfire management techniques to create a more resilient
community.
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k
Elbe Hills
State Forest
Excellence in
Community Engagement
Washington State Department of Ecology
Recipient: Nisqually Tribe
Project: Mashel River Protection Project
Within the foothills of Mount Rainer lies the Mashel River, the primary salmon-spawning tributary of the
Nisqually River. The Mashel River is an important site for salmon habitat. The River also serves as the direct
source of water for the Town of Eatonville and is the indirect source for many rural residents. The largest
sub-basin and headwaters for the Mashel River is the Busy Wild Creek, which is a declared federal critical
habitat site for spawning and rearing of the listed Endangered Species: Chinook Salmon and Steelhead
Trout. The forests around these headwaters are commercially logged, and sections of the forest remain in
a state of recovery from massive clear-cut logging from the early and mid-1900s. These practices impact
the headwaters by reducing water retention, elevating stream temperatures, reducing the woody-debris
accumulation needed for spawning habitat, and through extensive sedimentation that fills spawning pools.
These impacts to the river affect the Nisqually River Basin, which is home to the Nisqually Indian Tribe.
Salmon is a prominent part of the Nisqually culture, and they rely on treaty-reserved fishing rights to sustain
their fishing practices in the river.
To restore river quality and salmon habitat in these headwater forests, the Nisqually Tribe received a $14.2
million loan from the Washington State Department of Ecology to purchase 1,240 acres of land along the North
Fork of Busy Wild Creek. This land purchase adjoins next to nearly 3,000 acres of forested land managed by
the Nisqually Land Trust and the Nisqually Community Forest. Future forest growth will permanently protect
the entirety of the Busy Wild Creek headwaters and help restore critical salmon habitat for the Mashel River.
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5
Excellence in System
Partnerships
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Virginia Department Of Environmental Quality
Recipient; Garber Farms, Inc.
Project: Agriculture BMPs
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Garber Farms, a picturesque cattle farm located in Augusta County, Virginia,
was experiencing significant over-grazing alongside a nearby stream that f
created severe streambank erosion. The stream that runs through the farm / \
is a tributary to the Middle River, part of the Potomac River watershed in the / |
Shenandoah Valley, and discharges to the Chesapeake Bay. Direct livestock I HH, I
access to the stream resulted in high bacterial and nutrient loads from i I
livestock manure deposited in the stream. To address these water quality \ /
issues, the producer worked with the Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation V/
District (SWCD) to draft a land management plan that incorporates new grazing
practices and includes a riparian buffer along the Farm's stream. The Farm was
eligible to receive funding from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Agricultural
Best Management Practices (BMP) Cost Share program (VACS). They also applied for a water quality
grant for the installation of agricultural BMPs from the DuPont Natural Resource Damage Assessment
and Restoration Settlement. Garber Farms received commitments from the VACS program and DuPont
Settlement, covering the cost of the project. However, the Farm needed to provide funding up-front to
construct the project, as grant funding would be received after project completion. This led the Farm to
seek out a loan to cover these up-front expenses.
The newly relaunched Agricultural BMP Loan program, part of the Virginia Department
j of Environmental Quality's CWSRF, was able to provide a no-interest loan of
/ \ nearly $230,000 to Garber Farms for the full project cost. Thanks to CWSRF
f \ loan financing, this project installed over 5 miles of stream exclusion fencing,
, 1 over 2 miles of water lines, 11 watering troughs, and created 77 acres of
I riparian buffers. These installments remove an estimated 3,481 pounds of total
i / phosphorus annually at a cost of approximately $66 per pound. Through the
' jjpi! J partnership between Garber Farms, Headwaters SWCD, DCR, DuPont, and DEO's
CWSRF, this cost-effective water quality project in the Shenandoah Valley was
ma(je possible.
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6
EXCELLED
The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund was established by ReHarvest Partners, a partnership created
by Quantified Ventures and the Iowa Soybean Association. The Iowa CWSRF invested $7.5 million in
ReHarvest Partners, which administers the Fund with AgOutcomes (a subsidiary of the Iowa Soybean
Association). Iowa's CWSRF investment, for 16 years at 2 percent interest, will allow ReHarvest to sign
up 85,000 acres in priority Iowa watersheds in 2021, with payments to farmers between $20-$40 per
acre. This partnership utilizes a "pay for performance" structure to incentivize farmers to implement
new conservation practices that improve water quality and sequester carbon. Rather than pay farmers
for implementation of the practice, farmers are paid for the verified environmental outcomes these
practices produce. The carbon and nutrients captured by these practices (utilizing no-till farming
and planting cover crops) are verified, and the credits are then sold to a variety of private and public
customers.
By earning slightly more from selling the credits than what is paid to the landowners, the structure is
self-sustaining, enabling not only the repayment of the CWSRF's investment but a consistent source
of funding that will perpetuate the program. This market driven approach will allow increasingly more
acres to be enrolled each year with a corresponding improvement in water quality from the reduction in
nutrient runoff. These significant environmental benefits will be achieved without any state or federal
appropriations.
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Iowa State Revolving Fund
Project: ReHarvest Pay for Success
Recipient: ReHarvest
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7
EXCELLENCE
IN PROBLEM
SOLVING
Oklahoma Water
Resources Board
Project: BartlesviLie's Indirect
Potable Water Reuse Solution
Recipient: Bartlesville Municipal
Authority
In 2001, a "Drought of Record" found Bartlesville Municipal Authority
(Authority) with less than a 90-day supply of water for its approximate
36,500 residents. Impacts of the drought were felt state-wide. Shortly
after, Oklahoma passed the Water for 2060 Act - becoming the first
state in the nation to establish a goal of consuming no more fresh
water in 2060 than in 2012. The Water for 2060 Act and the Authority's
experience with drought provided the impetus to create a working
group to explore the reuse and recycling of treated wastewater. The
workgroup's study showed that indirect potable water reuse was
possible due to the locations of Authority's existing water treatment
and wastewater treatment plants. A plan was developed to pump
treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant three miles
upstream and discharge into the Caney River, where it would then
mix with stream water for about 7 miles before being pumped to the
water treatment plant to produce potable water. This reuse project will
extend Bartlesville Municipal Authority's water supply by 20-40 years,
depending on water consumption.
Bartlesville's indirect potable water reuse project
is the first of its kind permitted within the State
of Oklahoma. It will support Oklahoma's Water
for 2060 goals by focusing on water conservation
and efficiencies along the Caney River. The total
project cost is $8,970,000 with $750,000 coming
from a Bureau of Reclamation grant and $8,220,000
from the CWSRF. The Oklahoma Water Resources
Board approved the project in August 2020, and it is
currently under construction.
~ 7 miles of
treated effluent
mixed with raw
stream water
Treatment Plant
Cascade
upstream
discharge
Pumped
3 miles
upstream
18" effluent
piping
Wastewater
Treatment Plant
Treated
effluent Effluent
pumping
station
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Alabama Department
of Environmental
Management
Recipient: Board of
Water and Sewer
Commissioners
Phase I of the proposed Mobile Master Plan by the Mobile Board of
Water and Sewer Commissioners (MAWSS) will implement multiple
projects that are expected to receive an estimated §140,250,000
in CWSRF funds over a five-year period, These projects are
expected to rehabilitate existing infrastructure and replace aging
equipment throughout the entire service area. This will ensure
continued compliance with existing regulations and demands,
as well as provide increased efficiency and dependability to the
overall wastewater collection and treatment system. The system
has submitted an initial application, which estimates the full
scope of the proposed projects to be completed over the plan's
five-year period.
Project; Mobile Master
Plan Phase I
To fund the entire amount through the CWSRF program, the system
is planning to submit additional supplemental applications each
fiscal year until the completion of the project. For a municipality
or utility, financing multiple projects in the same plan over
several years like this, referred to as programmatic financing
through the CWSRF, provides a stable, predictable funding source
to incorporate into the annual budget process, as well as a
simplified application process.
The Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority applied for CWSRF
funding to repair, rehabilitate, and replace existing structures
at the Fourche Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Authority
developed an emergency plan to repair damage to a 170-foot
diameter clarifier and the concrete floor, subgrade, base material,
and center column. This work was necessitated by rising flooding
in the Arkansas River. Other improvements for this proposed work
will include repairs to a manhole cover, vault, embankment, and
access road and various linework repairs that were necessitated
due to flood damage.
A $7,500,000 loan with 1.75 percent interest rate from the
Arkansas CWSRF allowed the Little Rock Water Reclamation
Authority to move quickly to get a major problem repaired so
the treatment plant could maintain its operations and meet
wastewater discharge permit requirements, which resulted in
less pollutants discharged to the Arkansas River.
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9
In Georgetown, Delaware, the Sussex County Council implemented
the Comfort-Burton Property - Land Conservation/Water Quality
Sponsorship project to prevent the development of a 190-acre
parcel of land. Permanent protection of the parcel will create
approximately 2000-acres of contiguous publicly owned open
space in an area that is rapidly developing. CWSRF funds will be
used to enhance biodiversity of the site which is currently planted
as a monoculture pine plantation and to restore elements of a
first order stream, including wetlands creation. The project will
include the reforestation of approximately 60 acres of tillable
land that is currently under County ownership as part of the
Inland Bays Wastewater Treatment Plant. The financing for this
project was made available through an interest rate reduction
of the City of Rehoboth Ocean Outfall and Wastewater Treatment
Plant Loans. The City requested a lower CWSRF interest rate for
its two loans, and the Delaware CWSRF allowed them to go to a
2 percent interest rate for both loans, provided they sponsor a
land conservation or water quality sponsorship project. The City's
loans were $40,481,095 and $2,734,634, and the interest rate
was reduced from 2.87 percent and 3.15 percent, respectively.
This created $5,744,784 in capacity to fund the Comfort-Burton
Property - Land Conservation/Water Quality Sponsorship project
with 0 percent interest while maintaining the same level of debt
service for the City of Rehoboth.
In August of 2019, the City of Griffin secured a $4 million low-interest
loan through the Georgia CWSRF for stormwater system improvements
at the City's Veteran's Memorial Park and Golf Course. The Park's culvert
was creating sink holes and special care was required to ensure that the
Park's stone memorials could be repaired without any major disturbance
to them. This project was completed using a trenchless technique to line
the interior of the corrugated metal pipe with centrifugally cast concrete
pipe (CCCP). This CCCP lining not only improved the structural integrity of
the culvert, but also eliminated safety issues with flooding and saved the
city over $750,000 in construction costs since relocating monuments was
not necessary. This project also addressed the litter buildup at the Golf
Course's irrigation pond, where a litter trap was installed at the pond,
which removed approximately 75 pounds of debris to-date. Both the Park
and the Golf Course projects required coordination within the City's Public
Works Department and other city departments, such as Planning and
Development and Public Safety, which facilitated a quick and seamless
funding and construction process. In addition, the City encouraged
coordination and communication with the public throughout the process.
The community was invited to comment on the project through public
meetings and they were kept up to date via newsletters and social media
on disruptions to the regular use of these facilities.
Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
Recipient: City of Griffin
Project: Stormwater System Improvements
Delaware Department of
Natural Resources and
Environmental Control
Recipient: Sussex County
Council
Project: Comfort Burton Land
Conservation Sponsorship
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10
Indiana State
Revolving Fund
Loan Program
Recipient; LaGrange
County Regional
Utility District
(LaGrange County Regional Utility District (LCRUD) received $15.6 million
from the CWSRF to construct a new WWTP, which will provide wastewater
collection and treatment to residential, commercial, and industrial users
within the region. The construction of this WWTP allowed for sewer
extensions to be installed in several unincorporated areas, as well as the
construction of new sewer systems. The project improves water quality
and public health within the District's region and allows for 365 household
and 49 commercial septic tanks to be eliminated by connecting these
entities to the newly installed wastewater system. The State of Indiana,
LCRUD, the Indiana Toll Road Commission, and the local community
partnered on this project to create a solution that resolved water quality
issues experienced in the region.
The Indiana Financing Authority provided favorable financing through
its CWSRF Loan Program. This included $4,258,500 in additional
subsidization, a zero percent $2,797,000 extended-term loan, and a zero
percent $8,597,500 20-year loan. The District will save over an estimated
$12,000,000 by utilizing the CWSRF compared to the municipal bond
market. The County's Regional Development Commission and LaGrange
County also provided financing in support of the project. The combined
financing approach allowed the District to complete a successful and
affordable project.
Project: Wastewater
Improvements
In May of 2019, storm events in the Westmoreland Rock Creek
Watershed produced approximately 8-12 inches of rain. This event
resulted in flooding and erosion of Rock Creek's streambank to
within 20 feet of the City of Westmoreland's wastewater lagoon
site, which is adjacent the Creek. To protect its wastewater
lagoon facilities and prevent further erosion in the Creek, the
City developed a streambank reinforcement and nonpoint source
sedimentation plan. The City collaborated with the Natural
Resource Conservation Service, which designed the Rock Creek
Stream Bank Stabilization project and gave the City a $200,000
grant for the project. The Kansas Water Pollution Control
Revolving Fund provided an additional $67,000 in financing for the
remaining project costs.
The project removed debris and stabilized the Creek's streambank
where previous erosion threatened the wastewater lagoon site.
Rock riprap, earth fill, and geotextile materials were placed along
the streambank to stabilize it to prevent further erosion. The
project increases the integrity of the City's wastewater lagoons
and protects the Creek's water quality from future erosion and
sedimentation.
Kansas Department of
Administration
Recipient: City of Westmoreland
Project: Rock Creek Stream Bank
Stabilization
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11
Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality
Recipient: City of Ruston
Project: North WWTP
Improvements
The Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks
Project was implemented to help Baltimore City and Baltimore
County to comply with an EPA and Maryland Department of
Environment (MDE) Wet Weather Consent Decree to eliminate
sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), The Headworks Project, which
received $368 million in CWSRF assistance, increases capacity
at the initial stage of the wastewater treatment process to be
able to handle excess flows that typically come into the plant
during heavy rains.
This project will eliminate up to 80 percent of Baltimore City's
SSOs, putting the City in a very good position to meet the
terms of its EPA/MDE Wet Weather Consent Order, it will also
significantly reduce the incidence of basement backups for
Baltimore's residents. The Back River Wastewater Treatment
Plant Headworks Project provides cost-savings for the
Plant's customers as well as protecting local water quality,
Chesapeake Bay water quality, public health, and quality of life.
Through a partnership between the City of Ruston and the
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ),
the City received $6 million in financing to upgrade aging
equipment in its WWTP. This upgrade includes a bar
screen replacement, headworks improvements, clarifier
rehabilitation and lining, and improvements to the activated
sludge/water and sewer pump station. It will also replace
the existing sand filters with a cloth media filter, which is a
newer type of tertiary filter technology.
The overall rehabilitation of the WWTP, along with the
addition of the new cloth media filter, will provide more
effective treatment, allowing the City to meet all permitting
requirements. This project will also extend the life of the
WWTP and mitigate potential critical system failures.
Maryland Department of the Environment
Recipient: Baltimore City and Baltimore County
Project: Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant
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12
Massachusetts
Department of
Environmental Protection
Recipient: Springfield Water
& Sewer Commission
Project: York Street
Pump Station and
Connecticut River Crossing
The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission (SWSC) wastewater
collection and treatment system serves nearly 250,000 citizens
in the City of Springfield and portions of six neighboring
¦£" communities. The regional treatment facility receives and treats
an average of 67 million gallons per day, which is discharged
to the Connecticut River. During storm events, the facility often
receives more than twice the daily average flow, resulting in
untreated water being diverted to the river. SWSC invested in a
pump station and conveyance pipelines to reduce combined sewer
overflows, leading to significant reduction in E. coli and nutrient
loads to the river, which serves as habitat for endangered species
and an important recreation resource.
Through the $138 million loan SWSC received from the
Massachusetts SRF program, it minimized impacts to the
existing rate structure, providing relief to local ratepayers, and
maintained a collaborative approach to construction activity in
environmentally sensitive areas. The result is a significant capital
investment that provides increased pumping capacity, redundancy
of critical infrastructure, and resiliency against flooding and
climate change.
The City of Lansing formed a partnership with the Lansing Board
of Water and Light in order to implement a project that would
reduce and control untreated sewage overflow into the Grand
and Red Cedar Rivers and replace an aging water main located
in the combined sewer overflow (CSO) project area. This project
constructed approximately U,605 linear feet of sanitary sewer to
separate combined sewers and eliminate the overflows into the
rivers and will help reduce the frequency of sewer backups into
the basements of homes and residential businesses during severe
storms. It is the 23rd CWSRF loan that the City of Lansing has
received since 1992 to separate combined sewers in the service
area. To date, the program has removed approximately 952 million
gallons of sewage overflow annually to the Grand River and Cedar
River from an area covering 5,000 acres that were tributary to the
combined sewers. In addition, 23 of the original 41 CSO structures
have been decommissioned.
Thanks to the collaboration between the City of Lansing and the
Lansing Board of Water and Light, they collaborated to combine
resources into one project to separate sewers owned by the City
and replace the water main owned by the Lansing Board of Water
and Light. The total project cost was $17,517,000. The City received
a 20-year CWSRF loan to finance the CSO portion of the project,
while the water main portion of the project was paid for by the
Lansing Board of Water and Light.
Michigan Department of
Environment, Great Lakes, and
Energy
Recipient: City of Lansing
Project: Lansing CSO Sub-Area
034C Project
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13
am
The Great Bay Estuary, located near New Hampshire's coastline,
is identified as having water quality impairments, including
high nitrogen levels. Reasons for these high amounts include
nonpoint source pollution from leaking septic systems, fertilizer
runoff from lawns, and stormwater runoff from impervious
areas. Another cause is nitrogen-rich effluent that is discharged
from the Peirce Island WWTF in the City of Portsmouth into
the Piscataqua River, which then flows into the Great Bay. This
created a need to modernize the facility and decrease nitrogen
levels, as improvements to the plant would benefit the Bay's
water quality. The City used financing from the New Hampshire
CWSRF to embark on the challenging task of comprehensively
upgrading the Peirce Island WWTF into a modern facility that
meets limit-of-technology effluent nitrogen limits in a very
small island footprint space. The facility's upgrade utilizes a
Biological Aerated Filter secondary treatment process that
now removes organic material and nitrogen from the plant's
discharged water. During the initial year of the plant's operation
with the upgrades, the total nitrogen levels in discharged
effluent between May and October decreased 79 percent when
compared to the prior year. This decrease in nitrogen in the
Peirce Island WWTF effluent will help improve water quality in
both the Piscataqua River and the Great Bay.
New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services
Recipient: City of Portsmouth
Project Name: Peirce Island
WWTF Upgrade
In Roosevelt County, New Mexico, stormwater runoff from
the county fairgrounds impacted local residents, New Mexico
Department of Agriculture facilities, the New Mexico State
University Extension Office, and the Hampton Farms peanut
shelling facility. One of the county's largest employers,
Hampton Farms, experienced the significant flooding of their
facility during rain events. Numerous issues caused by the
flooding were cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
and made addressing stormwater management a priority for
the County.
Roosevelt County contracted engineering services and
determined that the best solution was to construct three
retention ponds and underground drainage to control the
fairground's stormwater runoff to eliminate flooding at
the fairgrounds and nearby structures. Roosevelt County
successfully applied for a $625,000 loan to construct the
stormwater control infrastructure. The project is estimated to
be complete by September 2021.
New Mexico Environment Department
Recipient: Roosevelt County
Project: Roosevelt County Fairgrounds Stormwater
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u
Wilson Bay and its tributaries, including the Thompson School
Creek estuary, have been designated as primary nursery areas for
anadromous fish species such as Red Drum, Blue Crab, Sea Trout,
Bass, and Sturgeon. Two undersized drainage pipes under Wardola
Drive used to drain residential stormwater into the Thompson School
Creek watershed. The pipes were 75 percent filled with sediment
and flanked by a dam on both sides, which reduced the flow of
brackish water and turned the Creek into a freshwater ecosystem.
This created velocity and behavioral barriers which prevented fish
migration and spawning habitat. This blockage also inhibited proper
drainage and periodically flooded the community during large rain
events.
To upgrade this drainage system and restore the fish passage to the
estuary, the City of Jacksonville received nearly $500,000 from the
CWSRF towards a $717,000 drainage improvement project. The project
replaced two undersized culverts and a dam that blocked the Creek
with a 30-foot-long bridge to improve connectivity for anadromous
fish passage. This will help restore the estuary by creating over one
acre of primary nursery habitat. The project enhanced approximately
230 feet of stream buffer and recorded a conservation easement
through the replacement of invasive plants with native species. This
drainage project will protect the estuary from increased tidal flux
and will ensure the long-term conservation function of Thompson
School Creek and Wilson Bay estuary habitat in a manner consistent
with the Estuary Habitat Restoration Strategy.
North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality
Recipient: City of Jacksonville
Project: Wardola-Thompson
School Creek Restoration
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15
Located in northeastern Ohio along the Clear Fork Mohican
River, the Villages of Butler and Bellvilie both faced challenges
with their respective aging wastewater infrastructures that
were discharging into the River. Instead of independently
addressing the issues, the Villages collaborated to design a
new regional WWTP that improved local water quality. The joint
project includes the construction of a new 550,000 gallons
per day sequence batch reactor WWTP, a new 320,000-gallon
equalization basin, a new force main, new pump stations, and
the demolition of four failing wastewater treatment plants.
Butler and Bellvi lie also collaborated to inform the communities
about the project's progress.
To help pay for the over $15 million project, Butler received
a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission, a
$730,000 Community Development Block Grant, and $4 million in
principal forgiveness and a zero percent interest loan from the
Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund. This project eliminated
sanitary sewer discharges to the River and will pass on the cost
savings associated with decreased operation and maintenance
expenses to the communities and businesses.
Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency
Recipient: Village of Butler
Project: Butler Regional WWTP
I
To improve the local water quality of Nittany Creek and assist
Pennsylvania in meeting its Chesapeake Bay Watershed
implementation Plan, Murmac Farms LLC invested in significant
upgrades to the manure management system at its dairy farm where
it manages about 18.8 million gallons of manure annually. The farm,
which is a concentrated animal feeding operation, operates a two-
stage lagoon system with a flush system that recycles water from the
second stage lagoon to clean the barns and recover sand for bedding.
Through the farm's recycling and reuse, the manure storage capacity
was increased to six months. This eliminates the need to spread
manure in the winter, reduces the risks of spills, and significantly
reduces phosphorus loading on farm fields.
Financing for this unique SRF project comes from PENNVEST, the
state's SRF loan program, with an $800,000 loan for 20 years
and an interest rate of rate of 1.7 percent for years 1-5 and 2.2
percent for years 6-20. Beyond the benefits of conserving material
resources, this investment is projected to remove 43,161 pounds of
total phosphorus from farm fields. As of June 2021, the project is 68
percent complete.
Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority
Recipient: Murmac Farms LLC
Project: Agricultural BMPs
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16
Rhode Island
Infrastructure Bank
Recipient: Providence
Redevelopment Agency
Project: Charlotte
Hope Plaza
Stormwater
The Providence Redevelopment Agency (PDA) partnered with EPA's Office
of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) and the Rhode Island
Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) to implement a project
to redevelop a brownfield within one of the most economically distressed
areas in Providence, Rhode Island. The production of a holistic design
plan for this site provided for the conversion of a blighted property into a
subsurface infiltration and stormwater management system and prioritized
improving public health and environmental conditions at the Charlotte
Hope Plaza. The project removed contaminated soil, eliminated harmful
discharges into the Woonasquatucket River, and incorporated site reuse
strategies developed from community engagement with residents and
local non-profits like the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. This
led to the cross-utilization of the capped land to create a new community
parking facility with 150 free parking spaces to serve adjacent businesses,
employees, patrons, and residents while also encouraging further creation
of 15,000 square feet of publicly accessible green space for the community.
This project illustrates how a collaborative approach to problem solving
can yield multiple benefits for a community. PRA received a 20-year, $2.7
million loan through RIDEM, which included approximately $1.07 million
in principal forgiveness, that allowed for an affordable cleanup and also
preserved PRA's borrowing capacity to complete other projects in its
pipeline. Through these partnerships with federal, state, and non-profits,
PRA delivered a cost-effective, community enhancing Plaza for residents.
The City of Tea is a growing community adjacent to Sioux Falls,
the largest city in South Dakota. Given the growth seen over
the last decade and anticipated future growth, Tea's existing
facultative lagoon system would no longer have adequate
treatment capacity or be able to meet permit requirements.
Building additional treatment capacity would be an expensive
undertaking due to upfront capital costs along with long-term
operation and maintenance costs. Instead, the City of Tea and
Sioux Falls collaborated on a regionalization agreement wherein
Tea wastewater users buy into the excess capacity within Sioux
Falls' wastewater collection and treatment system through the
payment of a system development charge (SDC). This arrangement
will help offset future capital costs for Sioux Falls, reduce long-
term costs for Tea residents, and reduce the number of permitted
discharge facilities.
The creation of the SDC payment framework allowed the City of
Tea to seek $12,825,000 in funding from the CWSRF program. Part
of the CWSRF funds were used to pay for existing Tea users' SDC
payment. CWSRF funds will also be used for planning, design,
and construction of a lift station and force main to convey the
wastewater from Tea to the Sioux Falls collection system.
South Dakota Department of
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Recipient: City of Tea
Project: Tea Sanitary Sewer
Regionalization
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17
Tennessee Department of
Environment & Conservation
Recipient: Humboldt Utilities
Project: WWTP Improvements
Several municipal utility districts in the Missouri City area
in Texas are currently using temporary package treatment
plants for their wastewater service. These temporary plants
will soon exceed their design lives, and the districts will
need new facilities to continue service. The municipal utility
district for Sugarland received $25 million from the CWSRF
to put towards a $41 million project to update these systems.
The funding was used for the design and construction of a
Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant that will receive and
treat wastewater from existing users and will expand capacity
for future users from the south portion of the growing Sienna
Plantation neighborhood. This project will reclaim water from
the treatment process and reuse it for irrigation and detention
pond recharge. The new regional plant will utilize membrane
bioreactor technology to treat the effluent to Type I reuse
standards. Additionally, the project includes the construction of
a storage and pressurization system for the reclaimed water.
This project will increase treatment capacity and reliability for
customers in this expanding area.
The Town of Humboldt is a disadvantaged community in
West Tennessee with a population of approximately 9,300.
The Town's 2.6 MGD wastewater treatment plant needed
major renovations due to the plant's age, discharge to an
impaired receiving stream, and new discharge limits for
nutrients. As the Town was designing renovations to the
aging plant, Tyson Foods announced the construction of a
new facility in Humboldt with a discharge of up to 2 MGD
of waste. To accommodate the increased flow, Humboldt
constructed a new 5 MGD Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR)
wastewater treatment plant to handle the increased waste
from the industry.
These improvements were made possible with a
$15,700,000 CWSRF assistance agreement that includes
$300,000 in loan forgiveness. The new plant with additional
capacity allowed for a well-needed economic boost for
Humboldt and the surrounding area, creating 1,600 new
jobs with Tyson Foods and producing a cleaner effluent for
the impaired receiving stream.
Texas Water Development Board
Recipient: Sienna Plantation
Project: Regional Wastewater Improvements
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18
Recipient: City of Oak Hill
Project: Wastewater System
and Infiltration/Inflow
Rehabilitation
MS
The City of Oak Hill faced a daunting challenge of addressing
significant sanitary sewer overflows and system failures at
three wastewater treatment plants. One WWTP alone reported
20 treatment bypasses over a year-long period. To reduce the
adverse impacts on the local community and comply with the
Total Maximum Daily Loads (pollutant discharge limits) that
were developed for nearby waterways, the City embarked on an
overhaul of the area's wastewater infrastructure. The extensive
project involved closing a failed WWTP and consolidating one
public sewer district with the City of Oak Hill. Portions of the
Oak Hill collection system and two existing WWTPs were also
upgraded to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows and take on the
rerouted flows from the decommissioned WWTP.
Located in an economically disadvantaged community, this project
also had the additional complication of one of the project areas
being declared a Superfund site during construction. To address
residents' concerns, construction was temporarily paused for the
City, EPA, and contractors to conduct sampling. The testing results
and new construction plans were shared through community
meetings. The final project cost totaled over $23 million, of which
$15 million came from CWSRF loans.
A
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Irv
The Bluffview Wastewater Treatment Facility, located in south
central Wisconsin, was built to treat wastewater from the Badger
Army Ammunition Plant. This military industrial installation was
constructed in 1942 to support efforts in World War II and later the
Korean War and Vietnam War. Original housing built for the Army has
been converted to multi-unit housing for the community and now
has a population of approximately 700 people. The Bluffview Sanitary
District provides wastewater service for this community, which
has a low median household income. In 2016, the Army transferred
ownership of the treatment facility to the Bluffview Sanitary District.
At the time of property transfer, the facility was not able to meet the
discharge permit limitations for total nitrogen.
In order to meet the total nitrogen limit, the District implemented
a $4.3 million facility upgrade. The District qualified for hardship
assistance and received $2.3 million in CWSRF loan forgiveness
and received a Community Development Block Grant for $500,000 to
make the project affordable for its users. Facility upgrades included
the construction of a moving bed biofilm reactor, a groundwater
disposal system, a pressure distribution drainfield system, an effluent
pump station, a potable well, and additional improvements. The
treated effluent is now discharged to a newly installed groundwater
distribution system with groundwater monitoring wells. These
upgrades will produce a cleaner effluent and enable the plant to meet
the groundwater total nitrogen limit.
Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources
Recipient: Bluffview Sanitary
District
Project: WWTP Upgrade
*
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For more information about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund,
please contact:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Wastewater Management
Clean Water State Revolving Fund Branch
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW (4204Ml)
Washington, D.C. 20460
www.epa.gov/cwsrf
Office of Water ¦ February 2022
EPA Publication: 832R22002
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