Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance

The Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) provides financial and technical assistance for a wide variety of actions to protect or improve the quality of Ohio's rivers, streams, lakes, and other water resources. The Fund offers assistance opportunities for both public and private entities.

WPCLF Assistance is available for:

• qualifying wastewater treament works projects (including planning, design, and construction) which will be owned by public entities, including

*wastewater treament plant improvements/expansion

*new/replacement sewers

*excess sewer infiltration/inflow correction

*facilities for unsewered areas

*combined sewer overflow correction

*storm sewers

• activities which reduce or avoid nonpoint source water pollution, such as

*agriculture / silviculture improvements and best management practices

*wellhead protection

*landfill closure

*stream corridor restoration / protection

*hazardous waste clean-up (brownfields)

*stream corridor habitat protection and restoration

Financing:

The WPCLF offers below-market interest rate loans: direct loans are made to most public and large private borrowers, while smaller borrowers usually receive indirect loans through the linked deposit program. Special discounted interest rates are available for qualifying projects.

The WPCLF assistance can fund all eligible portions of proposed projects, or can be combined with other funding sources. We have coordinae project financing packages with agencies such as the Ohio Water Development Authority, the Ohio Public Works Commission, the Community Development Block Grant Program, Rural Economic and Community Services, and others.

Technical Assistance:

In addition to offering low-interest loans, the WPCLF also provides communities with technical assistance, drawing upon our experience in planning, design review, and project implementation.

If you are a public entity with a wastewater treatment project, during your planning phase we can provide technical assistance for such critical areas as flow evaluation, design standards and appropriate technology, as well as help identify and avoid potential adverse environmental impacts. As the project progresses, our staff can assist you with development of user charge systems, preparation of bid documents, record- keeping, and completion of the loan application. Guidance during construction also is available.

We work with applicants from the beginning of the WPCLF process through project completion. Initially, we will meet with you to understand your needs and to explain how the WPCLF program can help, and what its requirements are. If you are interested in a WPCLF loan, the next step is usually a preplanning meeting to help you further evaluate your needs and available solutions.

If you would like more detailed information about the WPCLF program, see our Community Guide.

We want to provide the assistance you desire. Our assistance efforts take numerous forms, and are designed to help you implement your water quality improvements as effectively as possible.