EPA Recognizes Excellence and Innovation in Kentucky Water Infrastructure Projects
EPA Recognizes Excellence and Innovation in Kentucky Water Infrastructure Projects
April 9, 2026
Contact Information
Region 4 Press (region4press@epa.gov)
(404) 562-8400
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 9, 2026) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Jessica Kramer recently recognized 48 water infrastructure projects for excellence and innovation, including two in Kentucky. These projects, financed in part by State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs, demonstrate the importance of water infrastructure for supporting healthy Americans and laying a foundation for economic prosperity.
“Across the country, states are putting State Revolving Fund resources to work in ways that deliver real, lasting benefits for communities by modernizing aging systems, strengthening resilience, and ensuring families can rely on safe, clean water every day," said Assistant Administrator Kramer. "These projects show that when we pair federal investment with state leadership, we can protect human health, support local economies, and reach communities that have too often been left behind.”
“The awards in the Southeast region prove that smaller communities can execute big ideas when it comes to improving water infrastructure,” said EPA Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber. “I am thrilled to see communities utilizing the CWSRF and DWSRF programs to strengthen their water utilities for the protection of human health and the environment.”
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs have provided a foundation of federal investment in water infrastructure for decades. The SRF programs directly support EPA’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, which emphasizes the need for clean air, land and water for every American and the importance of cooperative federalism.
City of Georgetown recognized with PISCES award
EPA’s George F. Ames PISCES program celebrates innovation demonstrated by wastewater and stormwater projects financed by the CWSRF programs. Twenty-six projects carried out by state or local governments, public utilities, and private entities were recognized by the 2026 PISCES program.
Scott County and City of Georgetown faced an urgent problem: two failing, privately owned, 60-year-old package wastewater plants serving 10 properties were causing sanitary sewer overflows and contributing to elevated E. coli levels in Cane Run Creek. The city and county extended sanitary sewers and built the regional Cane Run Pump Station through a city-county-state-nonprofit collaboration supported by the CWSRF.
The project implemented a long-term regional fix by installing a 6.4-million-gallons-per-day pump station and force main, eliminating two package plants, and consolidating seven aging pump stations into one.
The total cost of the Georgetown/Scott County South Sewer Extension and Cane Run Pump Station was $26,425,258, with $23,540,000 from the CWSRF.
See the full list of recognized projects and learn more about the AQUARIUS and PISCES programs.
Background
The SRF programs are EPA-state partnerships that provide communities with low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality and drinking water infrastructure projects. The SRFs have provided over $265 billion in financial assistance to more than 50,000 water quality infrastructure projects and 76,000 drinking water projects across the country.
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