INDIANAPOLIS — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is loaning Indiana nearly $200 million to improve its water infrastructure.
According to a news release, Bruno Pigott, the head of the U.S. EPA’s water office, announced that $196 million will be loaned to the state to help improve drinking water and wastewater systems statewide. This program provides loans exclusively to state financing authorities.
“I want to congratulate the State of Indiana for securing a $196 million loan from (the) EPA,” Pigott said in the release. “Through our partnership, we will upgrade water infrastructure across the state to keep residents healthy, protect water resources, and create good-paying jobs while keeping water bills affordable. The State of Indiana is ahead of the curve in securing EPA financing to advance water infrastructure goals and benefit 134,000 people across the state.”
Officials said the state will use the loan to finance drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. The release said that it is expected to “address aging infrastructure and expand services in communities experiencing growing needs.”
“The IFA is continually searching for alternative funding sources to keep pace with Indiana’s increasing water-infrastructure needs,” Jim McGoff, the chief operating officer and director of environmental programs for the Indiana Finance Authority, said in the release. “EPA’s SWIFIA program provides that additional source of funding, which will help communities across Indiana invest more than $400 million in their local water systems.”
