In Alabama’s Black Belt, the Dallas County Water & Sewer Authority (DCWSA) serves more than 1,200 water and 1,100 wastewater connections across the Selmont community, just east of the Alabama River near Selma. Established by the Dallas County Commission in 1969, DCWSA was created to bring safe, reliable water to the communities of Selmont and Craig Field. Today, it operates a network of two wells, a treatment plant, three elevated tanks, and approximately 30 miles of water mains. It also manages a wastewater treatment facility built in the early 1970s.

But like many rural systems, DCWSA faces aging infrastructure, limited revenue streams, and increasing costs for essential services. That’s where Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like Communities Unlimited (CU) can step in – the nation’s largest CDFI lender for water and wastewater systems.

In 2025, DCWSA was awarded two major grants to address long-standing infrastructure needs. Through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s (ADEM) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), the utility secured $7.12 million in fully forgivable funds to upgrade its sanitary sewer system. These improvements include major water treatment plant upgrades, lift station replacements, and the implementation of a modern Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Bidding for the lift station replacements is expected to begin within the next few months.

In addition, DCWSA received $1.77 million in ARPA funding — also fully forgivable — for water system improvements. These funds will cover the rehabilitation of aging wells, replacement of deteriorated lines, and installation of new water meters.

“Our ARPA project will likely get started within the next two weeks,” Cunningham said. “Right now, we’re just waiting for the Clean Water SRF funds to close, so we can move forward with the bidding process.”

However, grant dollars alone weren’t enough to meet the system’s urgent needs. Some infrastructure demands fell outside the scope of the grants. In March 2025, CU provided a $285,000 loan from the CDFI Fund to help DCWSA cover equipment and operational upgrades not included in the grants.

“This loan will really help us save money — first and foremost—for our system,” Cunningham said. “We’ve been renting two bypass pumps at $9,000 a month. With this loan, we’ll be able to cut that down and save at least $6,000, which means we can finally purchase the materials we need. It’s a big financial help for our system.”

In addition to bypass pumps, DCWSA is using the CU funding to purchase grinder pumps, a trash pump, and a Jetter system with a camera for sewer diagnostics and pipe cleaning — tools that will reduce the need for costly service calls. Other line items include truck repairs, office equipment, audit costs, staff uniforms, and a new air conditioning unit. These upgrades may seem small individually, but collectively, they strengthen DCWSA’s ability to keep operations running smoothly.

“This will also help us financially by bringing in more funds, which allows us to stay on top of maintenance at all our sites,” Cunningham said. “We have 20 small stations across our wastewater plant and wells, so this support strengthens our infrastructure.”

With a median household income of $36,810 and 31.4% of residents living below the poverty line, Dallas County is designated a Persistent Poverty County — a place where long-term investment is critical. For small systems like DCWSA, the ability to act quickly when infrastructure fails can mean the difference between service continuity and crisis.

CU’s infrastructure lending program, with its unique 24-hour response time, is designed precisely for this kind of scenario. Traditional agencies often take months to process funding requests, a timeline rural utilities simply can’t afford during emergencies. CU received the loan application on February 21 and closed the loan just 19 days later, on March 12.

Cunningham was also quick to praise CU’s Community Environmental Management Technician Alexis Nank of the Community Infrastructure Team and Senior Economic Development Officer Chris Ranniger of the Lending Team.

“I just want to say how thankful I am for Communities Unlimited,” she added. “Their support has helped our system in so many ways. Because of the funds we received, we were able to accomplish a lot. I especially want to thank Alexis — she’s a sweetheart — and Chris, who even worked while on vacation to help us. I truly appreciate everyone at CU who’s played a vital role in supporting Dallas County Water and Sewer Authority.”

DCWSA continues to work with CU. Alexis is working with the utility on a rate study to ensure financial sustainability moving forward. If the rate study is approved, the CU loan will be included in the rate analysis to reflect the true cost of operations and long-term infrastructure needs.

“Looking ahead, we just want to continue providing our customers with quality water and to keep the system in good shape, minimizing issues as much as possible,” Cunningham said.

With nearly $9 million in combined investments and a partner in CU, Dallas County Water & Sewer Authority is no longer just managing to get by — it’s planning for a stronger, more sustainable future for the communities it serves.

“The Dallas County Water & Sewer Authority has a great team,” Ranniger said. “Their General Manager, Courtney, worked with Alexis Nank and me to get their loan done quickly. I wish them the best.”