NWEA

05/15/2009

EPA Announces $38.9 Million Nevada Water Stimulus

From: U.S. EPA <usaepa@govdelivery.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:48:52 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Water News Release (Region 9): EPA Announces $38.9 million in
Recovery Act Funds for Water Projects in Nevada to Boost Economy, Create Jobs
and Protect Public Health
For Immediate Release: April 30, 2009
Contact: Margot Perez-Sullivan, 415.947.4149
Perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov
EPA Announces $38.9 million in Recovery Act Funds for Water Projects in Nevada to Boost
Economy, Create Jobs and Protect Public Health
In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging water and
wastewater infrastructure and protect human health and the environment, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $38.9 million to the State of
Nevada. This new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help the state and local governments finance many of the
overdue improvements to water projects that are essential to protecting public health
and the environment across the state.
“This remarkable opportunity to provide much-needed support for sustainable water and
energy-efficient drinking water and wastewater systems throughout the U.S.is
unprecedented,” said Laura Yoshii, acting Regional Administrator for the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in the Pacific Southwest. “This funding will allow
Nevada to identify its highest infrastructure priorities, protect human health and surface
water quality, address climate change, and create critical green jobs as a foundation for
a sustainable future.”
“We are glad to see these Recovery Act funds become available for Nevada. The funds
will be particularly helpful to our rural areas and disadvantaged communities,” said
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Administrator Leo Drozdoff.
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program will receive $19.2 million. It provides
low-interest loans for water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, nonpoint
source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. The Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund program will receive $19.5 million. It provides low-interest
loans for drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements. The program
also emphasizes providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities and to
programs that encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water.
EPA is also awarding $194,300 in Recovery Act funds for Water Quality Management
Planning (WQMP) in Nevada. Planning is an important step in EPA’s goal to improve
water quality in America’s lakes, rivers and streams. WQMP grants support a broad
range of activities, such as setting standards, monitoring the quality of the water,
developing plans to restore polluted waters, and identifying ways to protect healthy
waters from becoming polluted. States are also encouraged to use these funds for more
innovative planning activities, such as developing plans to adapt to climate change,
analyzing trends in water availability and use, and creating low-impact development
programs. Grants are awarded to state agencies and some of the funds can be
awarded to regional and interstate planning organizations.
An unprecedented $6 billion dollars will be awarded to fund water and wastewater
infrastructure projects across the country under the Recovery Act in the form of lowinterest
loans, principal forgiveness and grants. At least 20% of the funds provided
under the Recovery Act are to be used for green infrastructure, water and energy
efficiency improvements and other environmentally innovative projects.
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17,
2009, and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and
accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at
Recovery.gov.
Information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 visit http://www.epa.gov/recovery
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