A $66.5 million project to upgrade Haverhill’s wastewater treatment plant and South Mill Street Pump Station top the list of area major water and sewer projects the state said last week are eligible for low-income loans and some loan forgiveness.
Other area projects covered under the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund include Merrimac’s $33.6 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade. A portion of Haverhill’s principal is expected to be forgiven under the state’s affordability criteria.
In addition, under the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, is Haverhill’s requested $25 million to construct a radial collector well to take water from an aquifer reached from the riverbank at an East Broadway property. Other loans cover Groveland’s planned $45 million water treatment plant to remove “forever chemicals” and treat water from three town wells and $3.6 million for upgrades to Methuen’s Granite Street pump station.
“The State Revolving Fund gives our communities the funds they need to keep Massachusetts a national leader in clean drinking water,” said Gov. Maura Healey in a statement “Cities and towns count on this funding to move projects forward, and we are making sure they have the resources they need to upgrade aging systems, protect public health, and keep costs down for residents.”
In total, low-interest loans were approved for 70 projects across Massachusetts at a value of $1 billion to upgrade or replace aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and cut treatment plant energy use and costs. An estimated $135 million will be used to provide loan forgiveness for eligible projects. Loan forgiveness is awarded to renewable energy projects and for projects in communities that meet the affordability criteria established by the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust. The affordability criteria factors in per capita income, unemployment rate and population trends. Loan forgiveness helps reduce costs for ratepayers and supports communities with fewer resources in moving forward with critical projects.
The State Revolving Fund is administered by the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and finances projects implemented by cities and towns, regional water supply and wastewater treatment districts and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
“Massachusetts is feeling the impacts of climate change—bigger storms, more often that can stress our water infrastructure,” added Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “This funding empowers communities to modernize their systems, address contaminants and stay ahead of future challenges.”
Once a community is offered financing, the state says each must appropriate the necessary local project money by June 30 and submit a completed project loan application to the state by Oct 2, to continue with the loan process.