Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona

The Scoop On WIFA
Projects: Completed, On Deck & In the Pipeline

Big Park Domestic Wastewater Improvement District
New Wastewater Treatment Plant The Scoop - WIFA finances important water and wastewater infrastructure projects at below market interest rates (2.15% was the average 20-year term interest rate for governmental entities last year). We help pay for pipes, treatment plants, tanks, wells and other infrastructure needed to provide safe drinking water and proper wastewater treatment in Arizona’s communities. We help cities, towns, private water companies and special districts get the funding they need to make a project happen.

WIFA is unique, in that we can fund projects of any size (large or small), and we do not have a limited funding cycle. We accept applications and approve financing year-round, so we can easily accommodate our applicants’ project timelines. WIFA can fund the planning, design, construction and acquisition of water and wastewater systems. And, while we keep busy with traditional drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects, we are also promoting new initiatives to fund stormwater and recharge projects.

Projects: Completed
Each quarter we produce a summary of the projects that have been completed during the previous quarter for both loans and technical assistance projects. The updates summarize the successes and results of the funding that WIFA is providing to Arizona’s communities. This information is also shared with the WIFA Advisory Board and published in the Arizona Water Association’s Kachina News.

Click here for quarterly updates on completed projects.

City of Bisbee
San Jose Wastewater Treatment Solar Addition

Metropolitan Domestic Water Improvement District
Purchase of Thim Water Systems

Projects: On Deck (next up for approval)
Before a loan can be issued, the project must be approved by the Arizona Finance Authority Board (AFA) of Directors. The WIFA Advisory Board makes recommendations to the newly formed Arizona Finance Authority (AFA) Board of Directors on policies, loan approvals and various other WIFA actions. Projects going to the WIFA Advisory Board and AFA Board for financing approval are included in the meeting agendas prior to each scheduled meeting. WIFA Advisory Board meetings are typically held every other month. The AFA Board of Directors meets approximately one week after the WIFA Advisory Board to take action on their recommendations.

Click here for meeting agendas to learn which projects will be considered for financing approval.

Projects: In the Pipeline
The first step in WIFA’s loan application process is an online application, or what WIFA calls a Project Priority List application. This simple online application lets WIFA know that an applicant is interested in funding a project through WIFA and places it on our list of potential projects to fund (Project Priority List or PPL). WIFA uses the online application to score the projects on the list and determine a project’s financial subsidy. Note that this list does not determine the order in which projects are funded. Loans are issued after Board approval and when the applicant is ready to proceed with the project.

Click here for a list of wastewater and drinking water projects in the pipeline. Note: projects remain on the list for the entire fiscal year even after Board financing approval. These projects are indicated as such within the PPL.

Here’s a snap shot of how WIFA’s loan process works:
- Step 1: Applicant submits an online application (Project Priority List application)
- Step 2: Applicant obtains debt authorization
- Step 3: Applicant completes a project finance application
- Step 4: WIFA Advisory Board makes recommendation and AFA Board approves project
- Step 5: WIFA issues loan

Click here for more information on WIFA’s loan application process.

Public Notices
WIFA issues public notices for all WIFA Advisory Board and committee meetings, environmental review decisions, and public hearings.

WIFA Advisory Board Meetings: The following WIFA activities require AFA Board approval and are included on our bi-monthly WIFA Advisory Board meeting agendas: loan resolutions and amendments, policy changes, project priority list additions and changes, intended use plans and other financial decisions that impact WIFA’s borrowers.
Environmental Review Decisions: WIFA conducts an environmental review on every project to identify and evaluate its impacts on the environment. Some projects do not require an environmental assessment and are issued a Categorical Exclusion. If a project requires an environmental assessment, a Finding of No Significant Impact will be issued if the assessment reveals no expected significant impact on the environment. If significant impacts are expected, an Environmental Impact Statement would be required to continue with financing.
A public notice is issued when a Categorical Exclusion, Finding of No Significant Impact or Environmental Impact Statement is prepared by WIFA. For more information, see WIFA’s Environmental Review Overview.
Public Hearings (Intended Use Plans): Annually, WIFA develops Intended Use Plans (IUPs) to set priorities for the use of our clean water (wastewater) and drinking water funds. The draft IUPs are released for public comment and a public hearing is scheduled. See WIFA Reports below.

Click here for WIFA’s public notices - WIFA Advisory Board meeting agendas, environmental review decisions and public hearings.