Ochelata Utilities Authority Receives $675,125 Grant for System Improvements from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Ochelata Utilities Authority (Authority) received approval for a $675,125 Sewer Overflow & Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant (OSG) on Tuesday through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s wastewater infrastructure.

The Authority will utilize the proceeds to conduct a sanitary sewer evaluation study (SSES), which includes a topographical survey of the sanitary sewer collection system, smoke testing, and flow monitoring to identify and address areas of the system which need improvement. The total project cost will be $675,125.00, which will be funded by the $675,125.00 OWRB OSG grant.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,065,200.00 in principal and interest charges by not having to borrow the project funds.

“We are grateful to State Senator Julie Daniels and Representative Judd Strom for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.

The OSG program is administered by the OWRB with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This OWRB program has been structured to provide communities with the resources necessary to complete the planning and design of sewer overflow and stormwater drainage issues.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved over $8.6 million in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

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Contact:
Lori Johnson
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
(405) 530-8800
Lori.johnson@owrb.ok.gov