WIFIA Engineering Feasibility Analysis Support

Under the 2014 Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, Congress established a federal loan program to accelerate public and private sector investment in our nation’s water infrastructure. Administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the WIFIA program provides long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Prospective borrowers submit a letter of interest to EPA for evaluation and then, if invited to do so, a formal application. EPA sought ERG’s help in conducting engineering feasibility analyses of proposed projects, as well as reviews of eligible project costs related to WIFIA loan disbursements. This support followed an aggressive schedule to meet tight EPA deadlines.

To meet EPA’s schedule, ERG assembled a project team that was able to conduct various elements of the review concurrently. The feasibility analyses covered a broad spectrum of water infrastructure projects, including water and wastewater treatment plants; conveyance systems, including piping and pump stations; constructed wetlands; wells and underground injection control wells; and dams. For these analyses, our team reviewed construction schedules, cost estimates, and engineering documents to assess the completeness of the proposed construction designs. The analyses included review of design assumptions, design error potential, capability, accuracy, reasonableness, and use of industry best practices. Our team also reviewed invoices submitted by WIFIA borrowers for projects under construction to ensure that their expenses were eligible and could be allocated to the project. ERG’s WIFIA support helped EPA ensure that the WIFIA program was funding well-developed, technically feasible projects, enabling successful borrowers and their customers to benefit from cost savings on their project loans.