Latimer County Rural Water District No. 1 Receives $799,095 Water System Loan with Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Latimer County Rural Water District No. 1 (District) received approval for a $799,095 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 that will soon benefit from critical infrastructure improvements. The proposed project will install 1,475 Automated Meter Reading (AMR) meters, which allow for remote, accurate data collection, and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to connect pump stations and water storage tanks. The upgraded technology vastly improves real-time monitoring, operational efficiency, and overall system reliability. This upgrade will significantly enhance leak detection and reduce water loss, ensuring a secure and sustainable long-term water supply for the community.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $1,259,000 when compared to traditional financing.
“This funding will support Latimer County in replacing aging infrastructure while implementing upgrades to accurately track water service and reduce water loss through leak detection,” said Senator Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain. “With this support from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, this county can effectively address ongoing problems of water insecurity and update critical infrastructure that will better support residents for generations.”
"I'm grateful to the OWRB for investing nearly $800,000 in our community through this important funding.,” said Representative Jim Grego, R-Wilburton. “These new meters and technology will improve accuracy, reduce the challenges associated with customer self-reporting, and help ensure fair and reliable services for everyone. By modernizing this system now, we're making a long-term investment that will save time, improve efficiency and provide benefits to our district for years to come – many of which residents may not even realize day to day, but will certainly experience through better service and accountability."
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 Warren Hamilton and State Representative Jim Grego 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.
