Recognition: 2021 George F. Ames National Performance and Innovation in the State Revolving Fund (SRF) Creating Environmental Success Program (PISCES) award for Excellence in Environmental and Public Health Protection from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project.

On November 5, 2019 Council approved a Water Infrastructure Financing Authority (WIFA) Loan for the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project.  

WIFA of Arizona was impressed with the project and submitted a nomination application to the EPA for the 2021 George F. Ames PISCES award program.

In The Flagstaff Watershed Protection project from Arizona was selected to receive the “Excellence in Environmental and Public Health Protection” recognition for the 2021 George F. Ames PISCES program. Out of the 27 state entries to be nominated for a 2021 PISCES, only five were selected as an Exception Project - one from each criteria category.

EPA Recognizes 49 Water Infrastructure Projects for Excellence Winners. 
ARIZONA (Feb. 17, 2022) – Earlier this week, at a virtual roundtable with state and community representatives, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honored 49 water infrastructure projects for excellence and innovation within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Drinking Water SRF programs. These exemplary projects demonstrate leadership in innovative financing, partnership, and problem solving while improving water quality and public health protection.

The Flagstaff Watershed Protection was recognized for its important work to prevent forest fires with EPA’s PISCES award. Flagstaff Watershed Protection’s resiliency project employs forest thinning to protect Flagstaff’s drinking water resources and avoid catastrophic wildfire damage. The effort focuses on 10,000 acres of federal, state, and local lands adjacent to the city, reducing dry debris and thinning the forest through removing small- and medium-diameter trees.
EPA’s George F. Ames Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) program celebrates innovation demonstrated by Clean Water SRF programs and assistance recipients. 27 projects nationwide from state or local governments, public utilities, and private entities were honored.

Since 1997, EPA has helped finance through the Drinking Water SRF more than $44.7 billion in water infrastructure. The agency has accelerated investments by working with our state partners to increase the utilization and leveraging of the State Revolving Fund programs.

The SRFs are EPA-state partnerships that provide communities with a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality and drinking water infrastructure projects. Since their inception, EPA’s SRFs have provided more than $189 billion in financial assistance to nearly 43,000 water quality infrastructure projects and 16,300 drinking water projects across the country.

In 2022, EPA will allocate $7.4 billion to states, Tribes, and territories, with nearly half of this funding available as grants or principal forgiveness loans for underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers. The 2022 allocation is the first of five years of nearly $44 billion in dedicated EPA SRF funding that states will receive through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.