Rural Water District No. 1, Creek County, Oklahoma receives $474,050 grant for water system improvements
OKLAHOMA CITY –The Rural Water District No. 1, Creek County, Oklahoma (District) received approval for $474,050 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 and $474,050 in local funds.
The District owns and operates a water treatment plant and distribution system. The area around the district is growing making the plant and system undersized. The proposed project is to loop the system together and upgrade a portion of water line to a 16-inch line.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $719,900 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 $7.4 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
“We are grateful to Oklahoma Legislators from the Creek County area for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
“I am thrilled to see the selection of the Creek Co RWD #1 as a recipient of an ARPA grant. This as well as all upgrades approved by the OWRB at today's meeting will be essential for continued growth for the state of Oklahoma both for businesses as well as for families throughout rural, suburban and urban Oklahoma.” Speaker Elect Kyle Hilbert
"As the representative of House District 24, I am committed to addressing the various water challenges facing our communities. I appreciate the relentless efforts of all stakeholders engaged in finding solutions to these issues. In many cases, additional funding is necessary, and thus, any approved grants are sincerely appreciated." Representative Chris Banning
“This critical project will connect more Creek County residents to clean drinking water by making much-needed upgrades to a local water distribution system,” said Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville. “I appreciate the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and Creek County Rural Water District 1 for supporting this initiative to ensure existing water infrastructure can meet the needs of new developments in the area."
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Contact:
Joe Freeman
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
(405) 530-8800
Joe.Freeman@owrb.ok.gov
