Hollis Public Works Authority receives $800,000 water system funding from OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Hollis Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for $800,000 in funding 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 a 100% principal forgiveness loan through the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

The Authority will utilize the proceeds for the replacement of approximately 6,000 linear feet of water line from the well field to the city of Hollis. This will reduce water loss and improve pressure in the distribution system for residents and businesses within the Authority.

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,211,900 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 $2.0 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 $6.2 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 Brent Howard and Representative Gerrid Kendrix for their support of the DWSRF program. 

####       

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

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