The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced it will waive fees for small communities who apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
By waiving the WIFIA application and credit processing fees, small communities can save almost $200,000 when applying for a WIFIA loan, clearing a notable barrier to accessing funding to improve water infrastructure through this program.
“EPA’s WIFIA program has $11 billion in flexible financing available to support water infrastructure projects," says EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. "Our goal is to reduce barriers to access these resources, especially in our nation’s small and rural communities.”
The WIFIA program charges fees to loan applicants to reimburse the federal government for costs incurred with processing and underwriting WIFIA loans. These costs can be financed by the WIFIA loan as eligible project costs. The $25,000 WIFIA application fee for small communities and separate credit processing fee – currently averaging approximately $156,000 per loan – can be significant barriers for small communities seeking to access WIFIA financing.
The EPA will waive the application fee for small communities with populations of 25,000 or fewer. The agency will also waive the credit processing fee for communities in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, subject to WIFIA’s program requirements and available administrative funds.
The agency is currently accepting letters of interest. Learn more about EPA’s WIFIA program and water infrastructure investments, including how to submit a letter of interest.
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