Roger Mills County Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 2 Receives $800,000 Water System Loan with Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Roger Mills County Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 2 (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. The funded project will construct a new 169,000-gallon water storage standpipe to replace an aging water tower and help meet current and future water demand. By replacing outdated infrastructure, the project will improve system reliability, strengthen water quality protection, and support the continued delivery of safe drinking water to residents and businesses throughout the District’s service area.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $1,666,100 when compared to traditional financing.
“Replacing a water tower is a major undertaking and one that many rural communities simply can’t afford on their own,” said Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt. “I’m glad to see these Drinking Water State Revolving Fund dollars being put to good use on a project that will make a real difference for the residents of Leedey.”
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 Casey Murdock and State Representative Anthony Moore 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.
