GEFA Approves Five Water, Sewer Infrastructure Projects Totaling $6.7 Million for Georgia Communities

Governor Sonny Perdue announced October 20 the approval of five environmental infrastructure project loans totaling just over $6.7 million. Two of the projects were fully financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at a total of $936,550. The GEFA board of directors approved the commitments to help finance water and sewer infrastructure projects in five communities throughout Georgia.

“Investment in our state’s water and sewer infrastructure stimulates the economy, promotes the stewardship of our natural resources, and helps to meet Georgia’s future water needs,” said Governor Perdue. “The projects approved today will improve water system efficiency and will ensure clean and safe water.”

“The federal water and sewer programs administered by GEFA assist local governments with improving their environmental infrastructure,” said GEFA Executive Director Phil Foil. “Financing water and sewer projects encourages economic growth and the stewardship of our environment.”

Foil expressed appreciation to Governor Perdue, Georgia’s Congressional delegation and the members of the General Assembly for their support. He credited Governor Perdue’s commitment to helping Georgia cities and counties finance infrastructure development as one of the main contributors to GEFA’s success.

“The projects that we agreed to finance today illustrate how GEFA helps communities of all sizes, in all areas of the state,” said Matt Beasley, chairman of the GEFA board of directors and mayor of the city of Hartwell. “From the smallest of communities to the largest, GEFA is investing in communities that are willing to invest in themselves.”

GEFA helps communities prepare for economic growth and development through the provision of low interest loans. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for wastewater infrastructure and water pollution abatement projects. Eligible projects include a wide variety of storm water and wastewater collection and treatment projects. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for water infrastructure projects. Eligible projects include public health-related water supply construction.

In February, Congress approved and the President signed the ARRA, which included a substantial investment in the CWSRF and the DWSRF programs. The ARRA also directs the states to reserve 20 percent of the ARRA funding for “…projects to address green infrastructure, water or energy efficiency improvements or other environmentally innovative activities.”

Under the ARRA financing terms adopted by the GEFA board of directors, cities or counties that are OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 70 percent subsidy. Cities or counties that are not OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 40 percent subsidy. Cities or counties with eligible green projects qualify for a 60 percent subsidy. For example, if a OneGeorgia-eligible community applies for a $1 million loan, then 70 percent of the loan will be forgiven, up to a maximum of $700,000, subject to the loan contract provisions. The community will close on a loan of up to$300,000 at a three percent interest rate. OneGeorgia-eligible communities are located outside the state’s metropolitan areas and have a population of 50,000 or less with a poverty rate of ten percent or greater. The unprecedented amounts of subsidy in the ARRA financing terms will help Georgia meet the ARRA’s short-term goals of job creation and economic stimulus.

Georgia local governments expressed a tremendous amount of interest in the ARRA funds. Cities and counties submitted more than 1,600 clean water, drinking water and green projects with total costs exceeding $6 billion. Total available funding for projects through the ARRA is $144 million. Funding is obligated to projects on a first-come-first-served basis.

Below are details of the loans approved:

Eatonton-Putnam County Water and Sewer Authority (WSA)

Financed through the ARRA, Eatonton-Putnam County WSA was approved for a green project through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The loan of $128,620 and a DWSRF subsidy of $192,930 were approved to upgrade commercial and residential water meters to increase meter reading accuracy. The total project cost is $321,550 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for green projects, 60 percent (up to a maximum of $192,930) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The Eatonton-Putnam County WSA will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $128,620, for 20 years.

City of Hagan

The city of Hagan was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $110,000 to help finance a new well, pump and pumphouse for the city’s water system. The city will pay 3.81 percent interest rate on the 15-year loan. The total project cost is $220,000 with a grant of $110,000 from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs providing the remainder.

Macon Water Authority

The Macon Water Authority was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $5,100,348 to help finance new lines in the city’s sanitary sewer system. The Macon Water Authority will pay a 3.81 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The total project cost is $5,100,348 with GEFA financing the entire amount.

City of Waleska

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Waleska was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $369,000 and a DWSRF subsidy of $246,000 for the replacement of water mains. The total project cost is $615,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are not OneGeorgia-eligible, 40 percent (up to a maximum of $246,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $369,000, for 20 years.

City of Walthourville

The city of Walthourville was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $556,500 for a new well, well house and chemical feed equipment. The city will pay 3.81 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The total project cost is $556,500 with GEFA financing the entire amount.

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Camera Reveals New Organisms in Georgia Well

His drinking water smelled like old bait-shrimp, and the Putnam County homeowner wanted Keith Fielder, the local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent, to tell him why. What they found swimming around in his well still hasn’t been identified. To help identify the problem water quality specialists with the UGA Environmental Services Laboratory used a submersible camera to help identify the problem at the waterfront home on Lake Sinclair.

“As we lowered the camera, we noticed flashes coming by the lens,” Fielder said. “When we reached the bottom, something swam by the lens, stopped and then swam by again. We all looked at each other like ‘What in the world was that?’ When we looked at the tape later, they were everywhere.”

It turns out what they saw back in May 2006 was an unidentified isopod, similar to a small shrimp. They were being chewed up by the well pump, collecting in the filter and causing the smell and concern. A large crack in the well casing was found, too, which allowed water to flow in and maybe the creatures.

Wire traps baited with bits of fresh fish were used to catch some of the isopods. Eleven specimens were caught and sent to experts at universities and research facilities across the U.S. Scientists at Penn State University and Texas A&M University at Galveston identified the organism as an asellid isopod. But it didn’t match any known species.

George Wilson, a scientist at the Center for Evolutionary Research at the Australian Museum of Natural History, determined the organism didn’t match any specimen in any catalog of known asellid. Both female and male organisms were identified of what was determined to be an unknown species of asellidae and possibly a new genus.

Back in Georgia, Fielder and other UGA Extension agents continue to use the camera as a diagnostic tool to solve well mysteries.

“We’ve had a lot of fun with this camera and we’ve seen a lot of interesting things,” Fielder said. “It was really neat to find the isopod. The more we use it, the more unusual things we will find.”

The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences provides access to five cameras stationed across Georgia, one in each of the four UGA Extension districts and another at the AESL in Athens. UGA Extension agents have access to the cameras and the training to operate them.

The brainchild of the late Paul Vendrell, a CAES water quality program coordinator, the concept grew from a camera fishermen use for scouting. Similar cameras are also used by professionals in the drilling industries.

“Vendrell developed the methodology to use it in an extension environment to help homeowners,” he said. “It is a simple, efficient, practical tool and has become a very real way of helping people.”

The camera has an automatic depth-tracking feature, which helps precisely locate problem areas. In addition to isopods, the camera has pinpointed faulty sub-surface geology, well casing failures, surface water intrusion and bad well equipment.

“We find all kinds of stuff down in wells,” Fielder said. “We find some pretty well-established bacteria colonies that link and chain up into bio-films. They are almost sponge-like and attach to walls and casings. Folks just don’t want to see that down their wells.”

Fish have been found in some wells and tree roots are a common find. Pieces of metal or trash have also been found, along with cell phones, hair dryers and dead rodents.

“Most people don’t care to know they have stuff swimming in their drinking water,” Fielder said. “The more wells we drop a camera down, there is no telling what we will find.”

By April Sorrow
University of Georgia

April Sorrow is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.