Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Executive Director Kevin Clark has announced the approval of a Georgia Fund water reuse grant of $100,000 for the city of Springfield.
The grant, approved by the GEFA board of directors, will help finance the installation of a 50,000-gallon storage tank and water reuse lines to service the industrial park. The total project cost is $392,800, with GEFA providing $100,000 and Springfield providing $292,800 in SPLOST funds.
“The Georgia Fund loan program is a tangible commitment by Gov. Deal and the General Assembly to assist local governments across the state with their efforts to provide clean water, sewer system and solid waste improvements,” said Clark. “These projects are critical to a community’s economic growth and prosperity.”
Clark expressed appreciation to Gov. Deal, state Sen. Jack Hill and state Rep. Jon Burns for their support. He credited the state’s commitment to helping cities and counties finance infrastructure development as one of the main contributors to GEFA’s success.
The city’s sewage treatment plant has a maximum capacity of 500,000 gallons per day, and its sprayfield can handle up to 350,000 gallons per day.
The reuse project will help alleviate pressure on the Floridan aquifer, said Springfield City Manager Brett Bennett. The reuse water will be used at the Effingham Industrial Park, where EFACEC will use it for irrigation and the concrete plants also will put it to use.
“It also makes the Governor Treutlen site a little more marketable site,” Bennett said.
Springfield City Council member Kenny Usher praised the work of Bennett and the city’s staff for getting the GEFA grant, along with grants from the state Department of Transportation and the state Department of Natural Resources for other city projects.
“These grants don’t happen without Brett and everyone else working their butts off,” he said.
GEFA helps communities prepare for economic growth and development by providing low interest loans and grants. The Georgia Fund
Water Reuse Grant program was funded by a $500,000 appropriation from the 2007 session of the General Assembly with the intention of providing incentive grants to communities in five coastal Georgia counties that are experiencing problems with saltwater intrusion into the Floridan Aquifer because of excessive water withdrawals.
The Georgia Fund is a state-funded program administered by GEFA for water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure projects. The program is flexible and accessible, and offers fast loan approvals. The Georgia Fund provides loans to local governments for projects such as water and sewer lines, treatment plants, pumping stations, wells, water storage tanks and water meters. Low-interest loans from this program are available up to $3 million.
