Midwest City Municipal Authority Receives $1,811,000 Wastewater System Loan from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Midwest City Municipal Authority (Authority) received approval for a $1,811,000 loan with 100% principal forgiveness on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s wastewater infrastructure. Planning and improvements to the wastewater system will be financed by the Oklahoma Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
The Authority owns and operates a Water Resources Recovery Facility (WRRF) that treats 6.8 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater through the utilization of a Moving Bed Bioreactor (MBBR) system. This system uses suspended plastic media to support biofilm growth. Over time, this media can degrade, potentially generating microplastics, which are considered an emerging contaminant that may pose risks to human health and the environment.
The Authority has initiated a multi-phase project to address the microplastics. Phase 1 of the project, which was funded by a CWSRF loan with principcal forgiveness approved by the OWRB in September 2024, included performing a pilot study to determine if the WRRF could be a source of microplastics and, if so, to recommend treatment process modifications that can minimize the discharge of these pollutants to the environment.
Phase 2 of the project includes the final design of the recommened solution to address the microplastics which includes converting the MBBR system to a conventional activated sludge treatment process. This project also includes a long-term conceptual design evaluating the constructability and feasibility of secondary treatment improvements at Midwest City’s WRRF.
The total estimated project cost for Phases 1 and 2 is $4,262,620.00. The Authority previously received $2,252,000.00 of CWSRF principcal forgiveness for Phase 1 and is requesting approval for an additional $1,811,000.00 to complete Phase 2. The Authority will cover the remaining cost of the project with local funds.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $2,823,700 compared to traditional financing.
“We are grateful to State Senator Brenda Stanley and State Representative Max Wolfley for their support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
The CWSRF program is administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CWSRF program has provided approximately $2.9 billion in water quality 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 $8.3 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.
