The Edmond Public Works Authority Receives $9,335,000 Water System Funding from the OWRB
The Edmond Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for $9,335,000 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).
The Authority is moving forward with a critical infrastructure project to enhance its water distribution system. This project involves the construction of approximately 10,000 linear feet of 24-inch ductile iron pipe, 135 linear feet of 18-inch ductile iron pipe, and additional segments of 12-inch, 8-inch, and 6-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe along 33rd Street westward from I-35. These upgrades, including all necessary appurtenances, will improve water quality and reliability for residents and businesses in the area.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,887,800 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, sanitation, and electric systems, and a 2-cents sales tax.
The Edmond Public Works Authority’s officials attending the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application included Edmond’s Mayor Darrell Davis. “As you all know, Edmond is a growing community but also an aging community,” said Mayor Davis. “This loan will help us to increase our capacity and continue to provide quality water to the citizens of Edmond.”
“We are grateful to State Legislators from the Edmond metro area for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
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 $2.4 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 $7.7 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
