LeFlore County Rural Water District No. 17 Receives $800,000 Water System Funding with 100% Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Rural Water District No. 17 LeFlore County, Oklahoma (District) received approval for $800,000 in funding with 100% principal forgiveness on 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 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
Leflore County Rural Water District No. 17 will utilize project proceeds to construct 22,000 linear feet of 6-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) water line, replacing the existing 6-inch line, and installing a chlorine booster pump station. The project also includes the rehabilitation of a 100,000-gallon standpipe and the addition of mixing technology within the standpipe, along with all necessary supporting components. These improvements will ensure the District can maintain adequate water pressure, preserve a chlorine residual for safe, bacteriologically sound water, and reduce water age by optimizing storage tank mixing, ultimately enhancing the reliability and safety of the water distribution system.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $1,308,000 compared to traditional financing.
"I'm grateful for this much needed funding to ensure the residents of LeFlore County will continue to have clean and safe water, something we can't afford to take for granted," said Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener “This $800,000 investment will provide LeFlore County residents with safer, more reliable drinking water,” said Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard. “This project is vital to improving our community’s infrastructure, and I’m grateful to everyone who has contributed to this project aimed at enhancing the quality of life for our residents.”
Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB, and Rob Singletary, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), express their sincere appreciation to State Senator George Burns and State Representatives Eddy Dempsey and Rick West for their support of the DWSRF program.
The DWSRF program is administered by the OWRB and the 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 with 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 $7.8 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
