Funding
Toledo Waterways Initiative is an 18-year series of improvements to upgrade the City’s Water Reclamation Plant and sewer system and is expected to cost more than $500 million. Funding for the program comes from an incremental increase of sanitary sewer rates which began in 2002. In an effort to minimize the impact on ratepayers, the City has and continues to aggressively pursue federal and state funding and grants.
Toledo has received grant funding from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC), the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) and State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG). Low interests loans have been received from the Ohio Public Works Commission and Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF).
Through Fall 2010, Toledo has received approximately $20 million in grants and over $265 million in low interest loans which has reduced the need for bond funding to reduce the percentage of rate increases required to fund this program.