Cherokee County Rural Water District No. 13 receives $2,250,000 loan from the OWRB for water improvements

OKLAHOMA CITY – Cherokee County Rural Water District No. 13 (District) received approval for a $2,250,000 Financial Assistance Program (FAP) loan Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve water infrastructure.

The District will use these proceeds for projects to include rehabilitation of the intake structure along with demolition of an old dock and construction of a new dock, to make water treatment plant improvements including filter skids, controls and instrumentation, chemical spill containment, a chlorine dioxide feed system, a variable frequency drive, check valve, automatic transfer switch, and redundant pumps. Funds will also be used for sandblasting and painting of a District water tower.

According to Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, the District’s customers will save an estimated $145,300 over the life of the 20-year loan compared to traditional financing. The loan shall be secured with a lien on the revenues of the District’s water system and a mortgage. District Manager, Jacque Cialone, stated, “We really appreciate your consideration. The District is working on being redundant and this project will help.”

Since 1983, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board has approved over $6.4 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

“We are grateful to Senator Tom Woods and Representative Bob Culver for their 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