May 5, 2020

The Commission is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $15 million low-cost competitive loan for a critical drinking water infrastructure project at the West Parish Filters Water Treatment Plant through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program.

The existing backwash pumps from 1974 power the filter cleaning process at the water treatment plant. Parts and service are no longer available for the pumps.

The  loan will help finance the clearwell and backwash pump station replacement project. Both the clearwell and backwash pump systems are essential for the continuous treatment and distribution of clean drinking water to the 250,000 customers the Commission serves each day in the lower Pioneer Valley.

As the Commission’s only source of revenue is from the water sold to ratepayers,securing low-cost financing from the DWSRF is part of an aggressive, multifaceted strategy to meet infrastructure investment needs and maintain customer affordability. The replacement project is part of a larger Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which aims to prioritize necessary infrastructure improvements for the aging water system, some of which dates to the early 1900s. The Commission has aggressively pursued multiple alternative funding and financing sources for projects in the CIP, including loans from the DWSRF, to reduce long-term costs and provide the best value for customers.

Read more about the award here.