Federal Grant Award Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 awarded $59.5 million to the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) under the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program (CFDA 66.468) effective July 1, 2025, with a completion date of June 30, 2032. This formula grant, funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), provides low-interest rate financing to eligible public water systems throughout Georgia for planning, design, and construction activities related to lead service line (LSL) replacement projects and associated identification and replacement activities. The DWSRF capitalization grant operates as a revolving loan mechanism, enabling GEFA to extend below-market-rate financing to water system recipients while maintaining the fund's sustainability for future infrastructure improvements.

GEFA will utilize these funds to increase technical, managerial, and financial capacity among public water systems while advancing public health protection objectives under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Deliverables include financing packages, planning and design services, and construction support for eligible LSL replacement projects, with anticipated benefits extending to citizens throughout the state. The award may also support specific set-aside activities as permitted under DWSRF program guidelines. GEFA, functioning as a state conduit for environmental infrastructure funding, will administer these funds through subrecipient State Revolving Fund projects benefiting local municipalities, counties, and other governmental entities across Georgia.