U.S. EPA announces $24 million WIFIA loan for wastewater facilities in Oregon

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 10, 2024, a $24 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the city of Sandy in northern Oregon.

The WIFIA loan will support the city’s plan to modernize their wastewater facilities and increase capacity to protect water quality in local waterways.

The city will use the funding to improve the quality of surrounding waterways by renovating its wastewater treatment and collection system.

EPA’s funding will help the city rehabilitate its collections system, upgrade the treatment plant, and design and plan a new outfall to the Sandy River.

Through developing its wastewater infrastructure, the city will increase water resiliency and capacity to meet wastewater discharge permit requirements.

These enhancements will help prevent sanitary sewer overflows to Tickle Creek, a tributary that feeds into a regional drinking water source. Additionally, the city will expand facility services to meet increasing customer demand.

A community of 13,000 residents, the city of Sandy will receive WIFIA financing for nearly 80% of its project costs, a flexibility offered to small community borrowers.

This WIFIA loan, combined with $7 million in funding from the Oregon Clean Water State Revolving Fund, will provide low-cost, flexible financing for this critical wastewater infrastructure project.

With this WIFIA loan, the city will save an estimated $2.6 million and create about 80 jobs.