Beckham County Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 2 Receives $793,795 Water System Loan with Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Beckham County Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 2 (District) received approval for a $793,795 loan with 100% principal forgiveness on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the District’s water infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

The District operates a public water distribution system and is undertaking improvements to strengthen water storage capacity and maintain reliable service for its customers. The project includes construction of a new 100-foot-tall standpipe. The new structure will replace an aging standpipe that has become increasingly costly to maintain due to wear and corrosion. By increasing available water storage and improving system reliability, the project will better support daily water demands, maintain adequate pressure, and enhance service for residents and businesses throughout the District.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $1,263,500 when compared to traditional financing.

Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB, and Rob Singletary, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), express their sincere appreciation to State Senator Brent Howard, State Representative Anthony Moore and State Representative Nick Archer for their support of the DWSRF program.

The DWSRF program is administered by the OWRB and ODEQ with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DWSRF program has provided approximately $2.5 billion in drinking water loans to provide communities with the resources necessary to maintain and improve the infrastructure that protects our valuable water resources statewide.

Since 1983, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board has approved over $8.7 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

Established in 1957, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) serves as the state’s water resources planning and development agency. A nine-member Board oversees the OWRB, with members appointed by the Governor to represent nine geographic regions and water-use sectors. The OWRB is committed to managing, protecting, and improving Oklahoma’s water resources to meet long-term water supply, water quality, flood mitigation, and infrastructure needs. For more information, visit Oklahoma.gov/owrb.