Fairmont Public Works Authority Receives $221,500 Wastewater System Loan with 100% Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Fairmont Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for a $221,500 loan with 100% principal forgiveness Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s wastewater infrastructure.  Construction of upgrades and improvements to the wastewater system will be financed by the Oklahoma Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).

The wastewater treatment facility operated by the Authority relies on a lagoon system that requires rehabilitation and upgrades. The approved funding will be directed toward the planning, design, and engineering of improvements, with considerations for potential expansion or replacement of the existing lagoons. These enhancements aim to increase the facility's overall efficiency and improve discharge quality into Fairmont Creek, ensuring better service and environmental protection for the community.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s  customers will save an estimated $283,000 compared to traditional financing.

“We are grateful to State Senator Roland Peterson and State Representative John Pfeiffer for their support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.

The CWSRF program is administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The CWSRF program has provided approximately $2.7 billion in water quality 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 $7.5 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.