Buckhorn Rural Water District No. 2 receives $4,166,667 grant from OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY –The Buckhorn Rural Water District No. 2 (District), in Murray County, received approval for $4,166,667 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the District’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 along with $4,000,000 in Chickasaw Tribal matching funds.
The District’s focus is to establish stable and reliable water sources for distribution purposes. These proceeds will be used to drill and facilitate two, new ground water supply wells and install necessary water line for tie-in to the existing system. Additionally, the District will connect into the town of Sulphur’s water system as a secondary supply source.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $4,891,000 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 Jerry Alvord, State Senator Greg McCortney, and State Representative Charles McCall for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
"Water is one of the most important resources in the rural areas of Oklahoma, and Buckhorn Rural Water District No. 2 is in desperate need of a stable and reliable water source to support their distribution infrastructure," Speaker Charles McCall said. "This project would not be possible without the contributions of the Chickasaw Nation, combining their tribal American Rescue Plan Act grant with one matched by the state. It will fill an immediate need, and I am proud that we could work with our tribal partners to get it accomplished."
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Contact:
Joe Freeman
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
(405) 530-8800
Joe.Freeman@owrb.ok.gov
