OKLAHOMA CITY –The City of Bethany (City) received approval for $4,600,000 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the City’s water infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program.
The City has 28 water wells of which 13 are out of service. These grant proceeds will fund the redrill of five (5) wells and rehabilitation of eight (8) inactive wells which will increase water production to meet current and future demand for customers and businesses in the City.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the City’s customers will save an estimated $6,901,200.00 compared to traditional financing. City Manager, Elizabeth Gray, stated, “Thank you from the Mayor, Council, and citizens of Bethany for funding on a much-needed project.”
The ARPA grant program is administered by the OWRB with funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and appropriated through Senate Bill 13 for 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 $6.2 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
“We are grateful to State Legislators from the Bethany metro area 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
