Rhode Island water quality supported by $18.2 million in EPA funding

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promoting public health and the environment in Rhode Island with $18.2 million in funding that will be used to provide local communities with low-interest loans for water infrastructure projects.

“Clean water is essential to our families’ health, our economy, and our way of life in Rhode Island,” Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Janet Coit said. “By continuing to make strategic investments in our water infrastructure, we have water to drink, a cleaner Bay to swim in, and a healthier environment to pass down to our children. We thank EPA for its continued partnership and support; this additional funding will go a long way in helping Rhode Island communities make critical improvements to their facilities and better protect our precious natural resources.”

The low-interest loans will be provided through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), administered by the DEM and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB), and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), administered by the Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) and the RIIB.

“Working with Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management and Department of Health, the Infrastructure Bank will leverage the EPA’s significant investment to lend municipalities more than $65 million in low-cost loans for water infrastructure projects,” RIIB Interim Executive Director Joseph Dewhirst said. “These key investments in our infrastructure will stimulate economic growth, further improve Rhode Island’s drinking water quality, and protect our environment for generations to come.”