Governor Ryan Announces Record Number of Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Loans for 31 Projects in September

SPRINGFIELD - Governor George H. Ryan today announced a single-month record of 31 low-interest loans involving more than $65 million for upgrading local drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities across Illinois in September.

"These loans are vital to the infrastructure of Illinois communities and will help construct facilities that will assure safe and abundant water supplies and modern sewage treatment systems," Governor Ryan said.

Governor Ryan's Illinois FIRST program assured full state matching funds for the federal funding that are provided to communities through programs administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Nine of the loans processed in September will allow construction of wastewater treatment facilities; the remainder are for drinking water facilities. The projects represent $26,363,128 in drinking water loans and $38,841,467 in wastewater loans. Individual project amounts ranged from $15,315 for a public water supply loan to Carlock, in McLean County, to $9,004,624 for a wastewater treatment project at Lincoln.

"This large number of water projects are particularly significant this year, the 30th anniversary of the passage of the federal Clean Water Act," said Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Renee Cipriano.

The IEPA has issued loans for wastewater facilities since 1989 under a program arising from the Clean Water Act. A similar revolving loan program for drinking water Facilities was authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1996. Together, the programs have provided more than $2 billion in loans to Illinois projects. Funding comes from a federal allotment and state matching funds. The 20-year loans are offered at half the current bond market interest rate. Repayments go back into the program to fund new loans.

Loans awarded in the record-setting month include:

PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES (drinking water)

Bloomington (McLean County) $3,568,582

Bradford (Stark County) $ 716,000

Carlock (McLean County) $ 15, 315

Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency $2,344,177

Colona (Henry County) $ 92,501

Crest Hill (Will County) $1,431,591

Downs (McLean County) $ 401,525

East Peoria (Tazewell County) $1,018,110

Glen Carbon (Madison County) $1,775,628

Hecker (Monroe County) $ 173,048

Hillsboro (Montgomery County) $1,562,174

Illinois-American Water Co. $2,900,458

Jacksonville (Morgan County) $ 770,893

Mackinaw (Tazewell County) $3,044,955

Minonk (Woodford County) $ 413,307

Oneida (Knox County) $ 875,000

Pierron (Bond,Madison counties) $ 545,000

Ramsey (Fayette County) $ 140,000

Salem (Marion County) $ 1,300,000

Teutopolis (Effingham County) $ 313,980

S. Jacksonville (Morgan County) $ 435,000

WASTEWATER

Barrington (Lake, Cook counties) $ 868,237

Cary (McHenry County) $7,353,381

Channahon (Will County) $6,137,883

Fairfield (Wayne County) $ 381,429

Geneva (Kane County) $5,500,000

Lincoln (Logan County) $9,004,624

Metamora (Woodford County) $3,000,000

McCullom Lake (McHenry County) $2,795,913

New Lenox (Will County) $3,800,000