$17.9 million EPA loan to support drinking water in rural Texas

January 5, 2024

The Sharyland Water Corp will receive a $17.9 million loan from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for infrastructure upgrades that will minimize water loss and deliver safe drinking water for 87,000 residents of Hidalgo County in southeast Texas.

The funding comes from the Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act (WIFIA), a long-term, low-cost federal program that has allocated $20 billion in financing to support water and wastewater infrastructure projects since it was enacted in 2014.

The loan will go toward $37 million in planned infrastructure updates that include enhancements to pump stations, chemical feed facilities, storage infrastructure and electrical systems at two water treatment plants. The upgrades will bolster the existing system’s reliability, help minimize water loss and keep water rates affordable for the corporation’s customers, which include the communities of Mission, McAllen and Edinburg. In addition, the WIFIA loan will go toward replacing several miles of water mains.

“This funding will not only strengthen our infrastructure but also allows us to minimize the financial impact on our valued members,” Sharyland Water Supply Corporation General Manager Carlos R. Lima said in an EPA release announcing the loan. Federal officials estimate the corporation will save $5.2 million by tapping the WIFIA program.


Strategic Partnerships, Inc. can provide information on contract opportunities, plus existing and future government funding. For more information, contact research@spartnerships.com.


Paul Stinson

Paul Stinson has more than 15 years of journalism experience, including a decade covering the legislative and regulatory affairs of Texas, South Africa, and Germany for an affiliate of Bloomberg, L.P. His experience includes covering voting rights and the sectors of environment, energy, labor, healthcare, and taxes. Stinson joined the team in October as a reporter for SPI’s news publications, which include Government Contracting Pipeline, Texas Government Insider, and the newly-launched Government Market News. He is also a Fulbright Scholar to Germany, and an Arthur F. Burns Fellow. He holds a master’s in journalism from Indiana University.   

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