Clean Water

State Revolving Fund

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA PILOT PROGRAM, MAX
MEADOWS COLLECTION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS

STATE PROGRAM: Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality

ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT Wythe County, Virginia

ASSISTANCE AMOUNT: $1.37M

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Wythe County is part of a cohort that participated in the Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund's
Southwest Virginia Pilot Program. Significant population loss and a depressed economy - due to the decades-
long decline of the coal industry in Southwest Virginia - present a challenge to communities who need to
invest in water infrastructure. Wythe County needs to address ongoing issues with sanitary sewer overflows
(SSOs) and hydraulic overloads at wastewater treatment plants exacerbated by more frequent extreme rainfall
events associated with climate change. The area's wastewater systems were designed and constructed to
serve and be maintained by a much larger population. As a result, communities in this area of the state need
financial assistance to make needed repairs efficiently and affordably.

To address these challenges, in 2019, the Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund launched a pilot program
to identify priority repairs with a focus on asset management. The program funded Sanitary Sewer Evaluation
Studies with up to 75% principal forgiveness. Following the completion of the report, the participants in the
program worked with Virginia CWSRF program staff to submit an application to complete the needed repairs,
with the construction portion of the program incentivized by up to 75% principal forgiveness. Wythe County
closed their $1.37 million CWSRF loan in April of 2023 and priority repairs are underway, leading to a
comprehensive effort to improve their collection system.

To read more about this case study, please visit https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/cwsrf-
pisces-2023-recognition-program.pdf.

CWSRF Case Study

&EPA

https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf

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