Altus Municipal Authority receives $2,000,000 grant for system improvements
OKLAHOMA CITY –The Altus Municipal Authority (Authority) received approval for $2,000,000 in funding Thursday 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 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with $3,736,312 in funding from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
The Authority has a wastewater collection system that is aging and experiencing inflow and infiltration (I/I) issues. A sanitary sewer evaluation study (SSES) was conducted to locate the primary sources of the I/I. The Authority will utilize the proceeds to replace approximately 44 manholes, replace approximately 11,170 linear feet (lf) of 18-inch PVC pipe, pipe burst approximately 4,400 lf of 15-inch HDPE pipe, remove and replace asphalt, provide traffic control, and perform by-pass and pumping. These improvements will address the I/I into the sewer collection system thereby reducing unintended flows to the wastewater treatment facility and preventing unpermitted discharges from wet weather.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $3,278,200 compared to traditional financing.
The ARPA grant program is administered by the OWRB with funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and appropriated through the Water and Wastewater American Rescue Plan Act grants program. This OWRB program has been structured to provide communities and other eligible entities financial resources necessary to address water and wastewater infrastructure needs within their systems. Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved over $7.0 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
“We are grateful to State Senator Brent Howard and State Representative Gerrid Kendrix for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
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Contact:
Joe Freeman
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
(405) 530-8800
Joe.Freeman@owrb.ok.gov
