Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Effingham staff recommends EPA SRF loan to fund mandated wastewater plant upgrade
Summary
Public Works Director told the council the plant overhaul to meet new phosphorus limits is now estimated at $16.5M–$20M; staff recommends pursuing an EPA SRF loan (about 1.62% for 30 years) with potential principal forgiveness to reduce long-term cost and limit immediate rate increases.
Effingham Public Works Director Jeremy Harmon told the council that the city’s wastewater treatment plant needs a complete overhaul to meet new phosphorus limits in its MPDS permit and that construction costs have grown far beyond early estimates. "They have estimated, as of right now, the construction portion alone is about $16,500,000," Harmon said, and added that engineering and contingencies could push the total toward $18–$20 million.
Harmon recommended pursuing an EPA State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan instead of a general bond, citing a preliminary small-community interest rate of about 1.62% and the program’s 30-year term. "Just doing a quick math on this, we would really…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
