The City of Fairfield will be able to make enhancements to its wastewater facility after it was announced they are receiving a direct loan from the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Rural Development is awarding $24,995,000 to the city, which is the largest loan a city in Iowa has ever received to improve its water system. Recent statewide flooding has brought Iowa’s out of date wastewater facilities to the forefront, and the Fairfield facility hasn’t been able to meet discharge limits and overflows during heavy rain events.

The improvements to the Fairfield wastewater facility will be implemented over the next 10 years, and will bring it into compliance with Iowa Department of Natural Resources requirements. The facility was built in 1966, and though it had updates and improvements in 1984 and 2013, it has proved insufficient in handling heavy rainfall. The upgrades will include new trash screens, new grit removal systems and pumps, as well as an enlarged flow equalization basin. The USDA Rural Development program provides rural communities with technical assistance and financing necessary to develop drinking water and waste disposal systems, and the interest rates for the loans given are currently at historically low levels at approximately 4.75%.