The Frederick Public Works Authority Receives $452,748 Water System Loan with Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Frederick Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for a $452,748 loan with 100% principal forgiveness 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The Authority operates a public water system and will use the funding to replace approximately 1,800 outdated water meters with modern automated metering infrastructure (AMI), which provides real-time, accurate water-use data. This upgrade will improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the system’s ability to identify leaks and other sources of water loss. By minimizing manual meter reading, the project will give operators more time to focus on essential maintenance, such as repairing lines and addressing system needs. These improvements will strengthen long-term water reliability and support continued delivery of safe, dependable service for residents and businesses throughout the service area.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,890,799 when compared to traditional financing.
“This generous loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board will help Frederick update its outdated water systems to improve efficiency and decrease costs, which will greatly benefit customers," said Senator Brent Howard, R-Altus. "Making these improvements now will help mitigate water loss and protect this valuable resource long into the future."
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 Trey Caldwell 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 $8.6 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.
