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EPA is scheduled to issue a proposed rule on implementation of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) pilot program by October of this year. The agency’s spring regulatory agenda, released last week, targets October 2016 as the date for proposal of a rule outlining how WIFIA will operate, with the final rule anticipated by October 2017.  According to the agenda, the proposed rule will outline WIFIA’s application process, selection criteria and project selection.  It will also define: threshold requirements for credit assistance and limits on credit assistance; reporting requirements; collection of fees; and the application of other federal statutes.

EPA staff who spoke at AMWA’s Water Policy Conference in March said the agency has an agreement with the White House that will allow it to begin issuing WIFIA loans in 2017 even before WIFIA’s operational rules are finalized.

Congress enacted WIFIA in 2014 as a pilot program to deliver low-interest loans for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects expected to cost at least $20 million.  EPA previously announced plans to begin issuing WIFIA loans during the 2017 fiscal year, provided that Congress delivers funding for that purpose as part of EPA’s final FY17 appropriation.