Soto Announces over $188 Million WIFIA Loan for Toho Water Authority to Upgrade and Expand Water Services in Central Florida

The Osceola News Gazette: Toho Water receives EPA loan to expand treatment facilities

This article was written by Ken Jackson and published by The Osceola News Gazette on August 13, 2024

Toho Water Authority has been named the recipient of a $188.3 low-interest Environmental Protection Agency loan, which it will use to modernize water infrastructure in Polk and Osceola counties to help ensure a water supply it calls “resilient” to over 450,000 utility residents.

At a gathering Tuesday, Congressman Darren Soto (D-Kissimmee) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Mae Wu made the presentation to Toho Water officials.

The EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program will support Toho Water Authority’s One Water Program, which will ensure clean, safe drinking water in a region where continued growth increases the demand for clean water.

With this WIFIA loan, Toho Water officials say they plan to expand multiple water treatment facilities and install a series of water main and pump stations. This will reduce reliance on fresh groundwater by increasing the use of potable and non-potable water supplies. 

Toho Water previously received a $40 million WIFIA grant to help finance the Kissimmee Accelerated Gravity and Sewer Assessment and Rehabilitation Project, which is nearing completion, Toho Water Authority CEO/Executive Director Todd Swingle said.

“As Toho nears completion of our $80 million dollar plus Accelerated Gravity Sewer Replacement Program made possible by our first WIFIA loan, we now embark on our Toho One Water Initiative and say thank you,” Swingle said. “Thank you to Congress for creating and continuing to fund WIFIA, providing an essential financing tool for the water sector. Thank you to our Florida delegation including Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and Congressman Darren Soto for your service in Washington and your continued support of Toho. Thank you to the WIFIA staff for your partnership throughout the review and closing process.”

"This critical federal funding will protect clean water, preserve our environment and ensure sufficient water supply for our growing community,” Rep. Soto said. “We are grateful to the EPA for their partnership and support in securing this impactful investment in Central Florida's water future."

“This loan will fund several key upgrades and expansions to the Tohopekaliga water infrastructure, including expanding multiple water treatment facilities and installing a series of water main and pump stations, which will reduce the communities’ reliance on the Upper Floridian aquifer’s supplies and improving the drinking water distribution system for this growing population,” said Deputy Administrator EPA César Zapata. “These improvements are not only about replacing outdated systems but also about implementing cutting-edge technologies that will enhance water quality, increase system resilience, and reduce operational costs. This means cleaner, more reliable water for residents of Polk and Osceola Counties and a stronger, more sustainable infrastructure for the future.”