OKLAHOMA CITY –The Town of Soper (Town) received approval for $1,000,000 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Town’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.
The Town owns and operates a sewer and wastewater system. The aged sewer lines within the wastewater system are creating inflow and infiltration issues. These proceeds with be used to replace approximately 4,905 linear feet of 8-inch vitrified clay pipe with 8-inch HDPE sewer line and brick manholes with new precast concrete manholes. These improvements will help to prevent unwanted contaminants from entering area waterbodies and reduce unintended flows to the wastewater treatment plant.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Town’s customers will save an estimated $1,553,200 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 with the financial resources necessary to address water and wastewater infrastructure needs within their systems. Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved over $7.1 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
“We are grateful to State Senator David Bullard and State Representative Justin JJ Humphrey 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
