West Valley Water District Board of Directors Celebrate $24 Million Infrastructure Loan Invitation from the U.S. EPA
West Valley Water District Board of Directors Celebrate $24 Million Infrastructure Loan Invitation from the U.S. EPA
RIALTO, CA – The West Valley Water District (WVWD) Board of Directors proudly announced that the agency was invited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to apply for an over $24 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan for the Oliver P. Roemer Water Filtration Facility Expansion Project. The invitation is one of a few across the country the EPA is issuing to help finance $5.1 billion in clean water and drinking water infrastructure projects.
Board President Channing Hawkins stated, “We are delivering for our community. These funds will significantly help our organization address the financial costs of our multimillion-dollar water treatment expansion project. This endeavor will not only enhance our water infrastructure, but it will also encourage and support hundreds of local jobs. Great things are happening at West Valley Water District and I am humbled that our federal government recognizes and supports our vision for the future.”
The loan invitation represents a significant accomplishment for WVWD and the region. Since the first WIFIA loan closed in 2018, the EPA has only announced 41 WIFIA loans. Over the last two years, these loans have provided $7.8 billion in credit assistance to help finance $16.8 billion for water infrastructure, create 38,800 jobs and save U.S. ratepayers $3.7 billion. The WIFIA program, which was established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, accelerates investment in U.S. water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects. This year, the EPA expanded the WIFIA program’s geographic scope by inviting entities from Alabama, Iowa, Ohio, Texas and West Virginia for the first time.
Once WVWD completes the application, the EPA WIFIA team will begin underwriting the loan for up to $24,593,100 or whatever amount does not to exceed 49 percent of total eligible project costs. The loan assistance is subject to negotiation of an agreement on terms and conditions satisfactory to the EPA as well as the project’s compliance with federal requirements, including the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), American Iron and Steel requirements, Flood Plain Management Standards and the Davis-Bacon Wage Act, a federal law that mandates onsite workers be paid certain wages, benefits and overtime on all government-funded construction, alteration and repair projects.
Readiness to proceed was a major factor in WVWD securing the invitation to apply. In August 2020 , WVWD announced the Roemer water filtration project to expand treatment capacity for the region. The project will increase the Roemer facility’s capacity and is necessary to restore groundwater levels and ensure that WVWD can continue to process enough water to meet the region’s growing needs.
Vice President Kyle Crowther stated, “This is extraordinary news as we continue with the design of the Roemer Facility expansion. Our board and management remain committed to identifying solutions that will maximize benefits and minimize costs for ratepayers. Our selection for these funds follows months of a major collaborative effort between our board, staff and vendors. On behalf of the West Valley Water District Board of Directors, I’d like to thank all of them for their tireless efforts to improve services for our ratepayers.”
The current Roemer facility provides 41 percent of WVWD's water and uses both Lytle Creek and the state water project (SWP) aqueduct water to meet local demand. The other 59 percent of WVWD water is secured via ground wells. By increasing the Roemer facility’s ability to treat water from SWP, which carries water from Northern California south to the Inland Empire, WVWD can reduce ground well utilization and allow groundwater levels to recover. The Roemer expansion project will grow water treatment capacity and integrate additional water treatment technologies to ensure water remains abundant and clean in the Inland Empire for decades.
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The West Valley Water District has proudly served the Southern California communities of Bloomington, Colton, Fontana, Rialto, San Bernardino, and Jurupa Valley since 1952. Through name changes and consolidation, the mission has always remained the same: to provide customers with safe, high quality, and reliable water service at a reasonable rate and in a sustainable manner. The District provides water for 83,000 customers and is overseen by a five-member, publicly-elected Board of Directors.
