Okmulgee Municipal Authority Receives $4,000,000 Wastewater System Loan from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – Okmulgee Municipal Authority (Authority) received approval for a $4,000,000 loan with $1,000,000 in principal forgiveness on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s Wastewater infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the wastewater system will be financed by the Oklahoma Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).

The Authority will utilize the proceeds to construct a new 15.25-million-gallon flow equalization basin, plus associated piping, and all necessary appurtenances required to complete the project. The improvements will provide additional storage capacity to better manage peak wet-weather flows and assist the Authority in regaining compliance.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,265,300 when compared to traditional financing. The CWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s  water, sewer, and sanitation systems and a  2 cents sales tax.

Okmulgee Municipal Authority’s officials attending the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application included Okmulgee’s Financial Advisor Chris Wolff. “Thank you all for considering this loan for approval. The authority wanted to extend their appreciation for your consistent help with them on several projects and several programs. This will certainly help them address their overflow issues that they've had recently and compensate them in the future,” said Wolff.

“Projects like this are prime examples of strengthening rural communities by investing in infrastructure that will support these areas for the long term,” said Senator Bryan Logan, R-Paden. “This $4 million investment will help fund a new wastewater treatment system that will improve efficiency and reliability. I appreciate the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s support of our community and its investment in Okmulgee’s future.”

"This funding is much appreciated, particularly the loan forgiveness portion, as this will enable the residents of Okmulgee to access clean and safe water," Representative Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, said. "The importance of this vital resource cannot be overstated."

“We are grateful to State Senator Bryan Logan and State Representative Scott Fetgatter 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 $2.98 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 $8.75 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.