June 28, 2024
Contact: MaryAnna Peavey, Grants and Loans Bureau Chief, MaryAnna.Peavey@deq.idaho.gov
BOISE – The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today awarded three low-interest drinking water and wastewater construction loans to organizations in Kootenai, Bonner, and Blaine County.
The Solar Acres Water Association in Kootenai County received $183,250 to construct an additional well, pump, pumphouse, backup generator, smart meters, and switchboard. Kootenai-Ponderay Sewer District in Bonner County received $8,798,956, which will be used to design and construct a mechanical wastewater treatment facility, expand the land application reuse site, and improve surface water discharge. Finally, the city of Bellevue in Blaine County received $6,295,163 to construct a new spring collection system, reconstruct a transmission main, construct and replace a water main, identify and repair leaks in the system, and make other improvements to the system.
The loans from DEQ’s State Revolving Loan Fund are capitalized annually by grants from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and provide considerable savings to communities when compared to average costs for municipal general obligation debt issuances.
This translates into $314,010 in savings to the community in Kootenai County, $1,186,100 for Bonner County, and $1,170,912 for Blaine County.
Additionally, since the annual cost of drinking water service for Solar Acres Water Association residential customers exceeds 1.5% of the median household income, the system qualifies for a disadvantaged loan, which carries favorable repayment terms and $183,250 principal forgiveness.