Wewoka Public Works Authority receives $9,565,000 water system funding from OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Wewoka Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for $9,565,000 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 the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) along with a $5,000,000 Congressionally Designated grant, and $2,681,000 from Indian Health Services. 

The Authority will utilize the proceeds for the construction of a new water treatment plant consisting of a raw water main, clarifiers, filters, disinfection facilities, and chemical feed systems. Additional project elements include concrete lined ponds, a backwash return lift station, a new SCADA system, and the instillation of all piping, valves, and electrical needs to complete the improvements. Disinfecting drinking water has reduced waterborne disease drastically. However, byproducts which may result from the disinfection can sometimes have unintended effects. Therefore, by addressing this issue, this project helps to meet the public health goals for the state. 

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $2,434,500 over the life of the 30-year loan compared to traditional financing.  The DWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water, sewer, and sanitation systems, a 1.25-cent sales tax, and a mortgage. City Manager, Mark Mosley, attended the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application. Mr. Mosley, stated, “Wewoka has the oldest active water plant in the state. We greatly appreciate the consideration of this project.” 

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 $2.2 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 $7.1 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 Grant Green and State Representative Danny Williams 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