The East Central Oklahoma Water Authority receives $1,000,000 grant for water system improvements

OKLAHOMA CITY – The East Central Oklahoma Water Authority (Authority) received approval for $1,000,000 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 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program.

The Authority owns and operates a water treatment plant (WTP). The proposed project is to rehabilitate the WTP by adding a second backwash pump, replacing filter media, adding transfer pumps with flow meters, installing a SCADA system, building a new fiberglass building and chlorine feed pumps with alarms.

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’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 Roger Thompson and State Representative Randy Randleman for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.

####

Contact:
Joe Freeman
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
(405) 530-8800
Joe.Freeman@owrb.ok.gov