The Erick Public Works Authority Receives $772,066 Water System Funding from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Erick Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for a $772,066 loan with 100% principal forgivness on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’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 Authority operates a municipal water system and will use the funding to construct two new 300-gallon-per-minute water wells, install standby generators to provide emergency power at the wells, upgrade the system’s telemetry controls, and install 1,350 feet of new raw water transmission line to connect to the existing chlorination station. These improvements are needed to address declining production in the current wells and to ensure the system can reliably meet growing water demand. By increasing supply capacity and adding backup power, the project will strengthen the community’s ability to maintain consistent water service during peak usage and emergency conditions.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,227,566 when compared to traditional financing.
“Every community relies on access to dependable water service,” said Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus. “These improvements in Erick will help the system meet demand and provide a reliable supply of clean water to residents and businesses. I’m grateful the OWRB continues to support projects that make a real difference in rural communities.”
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 Brent Howard 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 $2.4 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 $8.6 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.
