Payne County Rural Water District No. 3 Receives $800,000 Water System Loan with Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Payne County Rural Water District No. 3 (District) received approval for an $800,000 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. To improve system efficiency and reduce water loss, the District will replace 1,875 aging manual-read water meters with new meters equipped with Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology, which allows water usage data to be collected remotely and more accurately. The upgraded system will enhance leak detection capabilities, improve water-use monitoring, and reduce operational costs associated with manual meter reading. These improvements will help ensure a more efficient and dependable water supply for residents and businesses throughout the service area.

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.

“I appreciate the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for supporting this project that will help this Payne County water district better manage and conserve its water resources,” said Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry. “Automated water meters provide more accurate readings, improve efficiency and can help save customers money in the long run. This is a smart investment that will benefit the water district and all its customers.”

"Rather than waiting for infrastructure to fail and become more costly to repair, this investment will help our community take a proactive step to modernize our leak detection technology and monitor water usage more efficiently,” said Representative Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle. “I am grateful to see these funds directed toward projects that strengthen essential services and provide long-term value for the people of House District 33."

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 Randy Grellner, State Senator Chuck Hall, State Representative Trish Ranson, State Representative Dillon Travis, State Representative Jim Shaw and State Representative Molly Jenkins 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.