Arnett Public Facilities Authority receives $997,000 water system funding from OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Arnett Public Facilities Authority (Authority) received approval for $997,000 in funding Thursday 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 a 100% principal forgiveness loan through the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) along with $100,000 from an Oklahoma Rural Water Association Rural Infrastructure Grant. 

The Authority will utilize the proceeds to replace deteriorated 2-inch and 4-inch cast iron lead jointed lines with new PVC and polyethylene lines in the City of Arnett. This project will reduce potential contamination and lead in the drinking water thereby improving human health and environment. 

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,658,900 compared to traditional financing.   

The DWSRF program is administered by the OWRB and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The DWSRF program has provided approximately $2.1 billion in drinking water loans to provide communities 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 $7.0 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma. 

Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB, and Scott Thompson, Executive Director of the ODEQ, express their sincere appreciation to State Senator Casey Murdock and Representative Kenton Patzkowsky  for their support of the DWSRF program. 

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Contacts: 
Joe Freeman 
Oklahoma Water Resources Board 
(405) 530-8800 
Joe.Freeman@owrb.ok.gov

Candy Thompson 
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality 
(405) 702-8100 
Candy.Thompson@deq.ok.gov