FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      Connecticut Department of Public Health

December 13, 2012                                            Contact: William Gerrish

                                                                           (860) 509-7270

Includes loans to small systems for emergency power generators

Hartford – The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced the availability of low interest loans to help Connecticut public drinking water systems finance sustainable infrastructure improvements to improve water quality and protect public health. 

Funds are available through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, a federal loan program with interest rates below the market rate and repayment terms of up to 20 years. DPH administers the program in Connecticut.

As a result of the widespread and prolonged power outages caused by storms Irene and Alfred in 2011 and Sandy this fall, the program will continue to offer loans for the purchase and installation of emergency power generators to operate critical drinking water infrastructure during these events. During Storm Sandy for example, 109 small public water systems serving approximately 15,000 Connecticut residents issued boil water advisories as a precautionary measure because they lost power and did not have a backup power source.

“Storm Sandy, Tropical Storm Irene, and other recent storms provide stark reminders of how critical clean and adequate drinking water is to our health and safety,” said DPH Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen. “This loan program helps public drinking water systems complete the necessary maintenance and system upgrades to maintain Connecticut’s high standards for quality drinking water.”

Connecticut loans a minimum of 15% of available funds to public water systems serving less than 10,000 people, as these smaller systems often experience difficulty obtaining favorable interest rates when applying for commercial loans to make water system improvements.

Public water systems must apply to DPH to be deemed eligible for a loan. Applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 31, 2013. For more information and to obtain an application, please visit www.ct.gov/dph/dwsrf or call (860) 509-7333.

The DPH Drinking Water Section is responsible for the administration of state and federal drinking water regulations and is dedicated to assuring the quality and adequacy of the state’s public drinking water sources. DPH provides technical assistance, education and regulatory enforcement to over 2,600 public drinking water systems, which provide drinking water to approximately 2.9 million persons on a daily basis.

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