Where: City of White Bird, Idaho
Problem: The city needed to upgrade its wastewater system to comply with environmental regulations.
Solution: RCAC granted a $60,000 predevelopment loan.

Like many small rural communities, the City of White Bird (CWB) has an aging wastewater system and found itself needing to retain a qualified engineering firm in order to provide the technical expertise to undertake infrastructure improvements.

For several years, the city’s wastewater system has been in violation of environmental regulations because of discharge of effluent into the local river. As a result, it was facing legal action from the Idaho Conservation League and fines from regulatory agencies.

The municipality needed to meet the letter of conditions from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)–Rural Development to complete its application package for loan/grant funding for its system upgrade project. CWB must supply a preliminary engineering report, environmental report and other documentation also known feasibility phase of the project.

RCAC provided a $60,000 loan to cover engineering design work and related expenses. Without the loan the utility would not have been able to complete the predevelopment work required to obtain the federal funds.
The project is underway still, however, when it is completed, the city will have a reliable wastewater system, be in compliance with the state’s requirements and provide quality services to the approximately 91 residents of White Bird.

The RCAC Loan Fund works with small districts and local engineers across the West to help ensure that federally funded projects get completed. In some instances RCAC only finances design and predevelopment costs, in others—it also provides construction financing. Regardless RCAC is filling a gap in the federal funding frame¬work. RCAC’s Loan Fund leverages funding from the U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund and the USDA Intermediary Relending Program to attract private capital to allow us to make loans such as this one to the City of Whitebird.