Project

NJ I-Bank Project of the Week: Woodbine Borough receives $1,118,963 in Water Bank loans saving ratepayers approximately $1,186,666.

 Woodbine Borough recently completed drinking water improvements that are being financed with approximately $1.1 million in loans from the NJ Water Bank, a low-rate funding program jointly administered by the DEP and the NJ I-Bank. This project is eligible for a NANO loan because the municipality serves a population of less than 10,000. The NANO Program provides small borrowers with principal forgiveness funds (PF) for 50% of the loan amount up to a project cost of $1 million. Total savings for this project, including PF and lower interest costs, is estimated to be $1,186,666 as compared to Woodbine financing on its own. By utilizing the Water Bank, the amount that Woodbine will repay is less than the actual cost of the project and Woodbine is able to spread the payments over the 30-year term of the loan making the project very affordable. In addition, this project created an estimated 13 direct construction jobs. 

In the last 40 years, the Woodbine Borough water treatment plant has undergone limited upgrades. Recent failures of equipment at the plant have necessitated significant capital improvements to maintain water quality for the service area. As part of this project, service was extended to several residences in the Fidler Hill Road area that required Point of Entry Treatment (POET) systems on their private wells due to documented contamination in the groundwater. This project enabled these residents to abandon their wells and eliminate their POET systems completely. In addition, a water main extension to the Airport Business Park eliminated a dead-end water main, improving water quality. A key component of the project was the development of an Asset Management Plan (AMP) enabling the Borough to project the timing and costs of future capital improvements. The AMP includes asset inventory, condition assessments, level of service, prioritization, life cycle costing, and a long-term funding plan. The AMP provides a strategy to proactively implement improvements methodically instead of reacting to emergencies and equipment failures as they occur.

 William Pikolycky, Mayor of Woodbine Borough, was extremely pleased with this project. “We fixed some critical infrastructure, planned for future improvements, and complied with the Water Quality Accountability Act. We have accomplished a lot for very little and, because we financed these projects through the NJ Water Bank, Woodbine was able to improve the quality of life for our citizens without passing the expense on to the taxpayer.”

This project was designed by in-house staff at Woodbine Borough and the Asset Management Plan was designed by Van Note Harvey & Associates. The Water Treatment Plant upgrades were constructed by B&H Contracting, and the Water Main Extensions were constructed by DSC Construction Co., Inc.

Pictures courtesy of Woodbine Borough

Published 9/27/2023