How WIFIA Financing Makes Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investments Possible

Presentation Description: The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program is a government bank operated by EPA headquarters that provides supplemental, flexible, low-cost credit assistance to public and private borrowers for all types of wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater projects. The WIFIA program offers long-term loans that can be combined with State Revolving Fund assistance, municipal bonds, and federal and state grants to help communities deliver more critical water infrastructure projects for a lower cost with less impact on rate payers.

In this session, we will provide an overview of the WIFIA program and describe WIFIA’s water infrastructure-related eligibilities and priorities, including increasing investment in economically stressed communities, mitigating the impacts of drought, and supporting innovative and resilient projects. Additionally, we will discuss the benefits of WIFIA financing, including long repayment terms, using a Master Agreement with an upfront commitment for multiple WIFIA loans, flexible repayment terms, and connections with co-funding partners like the State Revolving Funds. Finally, we will describe how the WIFIA program can help fund projects that are critical to the long-term sustainability of utilities, including water reuse and stormwater improvements.
The WIFIA program enjoys broad political support and expects to continue receiving significant funding for water infrastructure investments. In the last 5 years, communities nationwide have borrowed over $19 billion in financing to support $40 billion in total project costs varying in size from $30 million to $1.5 billion. Through its flexible terms and low interest rate, the WIFIA program has helped borrowers save over $6 billion on projects that will create more than 134,000 jobs and impact 57 million people around the country.
For this session, WIFIA plans to co-present with a current borrower, who can describe how WIFIA financing has benefited their community and their experience working with EPA to submit, underwrite, and manage their WIFIA loan.