Courtesy:  Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

LANSING — The DEQ announced Thursday more than $125 million in loans to local communities to fund wastewater and drinking water projects needed to improve water quality and public health around the state.

The loans include more than $8 million in principal loan forgiveness.

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund, or SRF, provides low-interest loan financing for necessary wastewater facility improvements. The Drinking Water Revolving Fund, or DWRF, provides low-interest loan financing for necessary public drinking water facility improvements.

With interest rates below those otherwise available in the open market, funding infrastructure projects through these two revolving loan programs allow communities to pass the savings along to the residents and customer base of their wastewater or drinking water systems.

The local units of government receiving SRF loan assistance are:

• Monroe County – $280,000
• Lansing – $2.36 million
• Grosse Pointe Farms – $250,000
• St. Clair County – $6.87 million with $3.435 million in principal loan forgiveness
• St. Clair County – $585,000 with $292,500 in principal loan forgiveness
• Coldwater – $1.365 million
• Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority – $4.455 million
• Parma – $850,000 with $425,000 in principal loan forgiveness
• 8 1/2 Mile Relief Drain Drainage District – $445,000
• Ecorse – $750,000
• Charlevoix – $9.9 million
• Elk Rapids – $4.4 million
• Sault Ste. Marie – $7.325 million
• Wayne County – $2.175 million
• Wayne County – $3.365 million
• Malletts Creek Drain Drainage District – $650,000 with $295,155 in principal loan forgiveness
• Owosso Township-Caledonia Township Utility Authority – $4 million
• Newberry – $4.485 million with $664,582 in principal loan forgiveness
• Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner – $36.855 million

The local units of government receiving DWRF loan assistance are:

• Nashville – $670,000
• Livonia – $3.775 million
• Burton – $6 million
• Marquette – $330,000
• Huron Township – $2.735 million
• Beecher Metropolitan District – $2.18 million with $1.5 million in principal loan forgiveness
• Grand Blanc – $1.9 million with $809,128 in principal loan forgiveness
• Sault Ste. Marie – $5.12 million
• Benzonia – $615,000 with $100,000 in principal loan forgiveness
• Oakland County – $6.89 million
• Grand Rapids – $3.545 million with $654,407 in principal loan forgiveness

The SRF was established in 1988 and to date has provided low-interest loans totaling more than $4 billion. For more information on the SRF program, visit http://www.michigan.gov/cleanwaterrevolvingfund.

The DWRF was established in 1997 and to date has provided low-interest loans totaling more than $800 million. For more information on the DWRF program, visit http://www.michigan.gov/drinkingwaterrevolvingfund.