Grants, Loans Help Get Lead Out of Drinking Water

The tragedy in Flint, Michigan, has started a nationwide discussion about lead in drinking water, and news reports on the subject keep flowing. We wrote in a recent blog post about our engineers’ ability to help communities with water supply issues.

When it comes to safe drinking water, getting the lead out can be a costly proposition.

Fortunately, communities looking to replace lead pipes, remove contaminants, or make other improvements to safeguard their water supplies can look to public funding options to assist with their projects.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its Water & Waste Disposal Program, offers low-interest loans and grants to government entities and tribes in rural areas and small communities. The Community Development Block Grants-Public Facilities program offers grant funds for qualifying infrastructure projects.

In Wisconsin, communities can access the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. Most of the funds available from this program are in the form of low-interest loans, but some qualifying projects are eligible for principal forgiveness dollars, which essentially turn the loans into grants. The Environmental Loans Section of the WDNR recently addressed financing options for water supply projects in the latest edition of its E-Bulletin Newsletter.

Deadlines are looming for fiscal year 2017. Applying for these funds can be a confusing maze of forms and documentation, making it difficult for communities to meet requirements. Limited funding is the object of fierce competition.

Ayres Associates has assisted clients in securing nearly $65 million in grants and loans from the programs mentioned above. For more information on funding for water and wastewater projects click the “View Contacts” button on our general civil/municipal engineering page to find an expert near you. We work closely with our municipal clients to give communities the best chance to get their projects funded.