The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program accelerates investment in our nation's water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects. COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW PHASE III FACILITIES BORROWER: Narragansett Bay Commission LOCATION: Providence, Rl WIFIA LOAN AMOUNTS: $268.7 million TOTAL WIFIA PROJECT COSTS: $548.4 million POPULATION SERVED BY PROJECT: 360,000 NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED: 1,755 jobs PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Combined Sewer Overflow Phase III Facilities project will construct infrastructure to contain combined sewer flows during wet weather events and then return the stored flows to the wastewater facility for treatment. During heavy storms, these combined flows frequently exceed the capacity of the sewer system and overflow into local rivers and Narragansett Bay. Combined sewer overflows carry pollutants such as sewage solids, metals, oil, grease and bacteria which impact the health of those who swim in polluted water or eat contaminated shellfish. The Phase III Facilities project includes construction of a long deep rock tunnel, two work shafts, four drop shafts, a tunnel pump station, and several improvements to the wastewater collection system. Approximately 60 billion gallons of combined water and wastewater that would have gone straight into Narragansett Bay will be treated at the Bucklin Point Wastewater Treatment Facility each year. PROJECT BENEFITS • Protects water quality by reducing the amount of combined sewer overflow discharged into Narragansett Bay. • Achieve an 80% reduction in shellfish bed enclosures. • Contributes to compliance with the Combined Sewer Overflow Consent Agreement with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. • Saves Narrangsett Bay Commission's ratepayers $99.6 million by financing the project with a WIFIA loan. • Re-execution of the WIFIA loan in 2020 saves Narragansett ratepayers an additional $43 million. WIFIA PROGRAM Bucklin Point Wastewater Treatment Facility £% United States Environmental Protection kl m % Agency WEBSITE: www.epa.gov/wifia EMAiL: wifia@EPA.gov ------- |