Camp Fire Inland Northwest in Kootenai County is set to receive a $2 million low-interest drinking water construction loan from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, funding a broad set of infrastructure improvements to the organization’s water system.

The loan, drawn from DEQ’s State Revolving Loan Fund, carries a 2.75% simple interest rate and a 20-year repayment term. The State Revolving Loan Fund is capitalized each year through grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and state law authorizes DEQ to extend these loans for public drinking water system construction.

Planned improvements include installation of a new pump station, backup generator, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, pressure-reducing valves, a flow meter, and a booster station with a booster pump. The project also covers reservoir rehabilitation along with replacement of the electrical system, piping, and water mains.

Compared to average municipal general obligation debt, the financing terms are expected to save the community an estimated $708,543 over the life of the loan.

The award reflects a broader state commitment to keeping local drinking water systems functional and up to code, particularly in smaller communities where the cost of infrastructure replacement can strain local budgets. Low-interest revolving loan programs have become one of the primary tools Idaho uses to help communities tackle aging water infrastructure without shouldering full commercial borrowing costs.

Kootenai County residents and local government watchers can stay current on other state-level decisions affecting the region, including a potential 44% cut to Idaho’s Medicaid expansion funding tied to new federal work requirements set to take effect in 2027.

Category: News | Kootenai County