Rogers County Rural Water District No. 1 Receives $2,340,000 Loan for Wastewater System Improvements from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rural Sewer District No. 1, Rogers County, Oklahoma (District) received approval for a $2,340,000 Financial Assistance Program (FAP) loan on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve their  wastewater infrastructure.

The District operates a wastewater treatment lagoon system and is moving forward with a capital improvement project to expand and modernize the facility. The upgrades are designed to ensure continued compliance with environmental regulations while also preparing the system to accommodate future growth over the next 20 years. The project includes cleaning and rehabilitating the existing lagoons, constructing three new lagoons, and building a concrete basin with a new discharge lift station, along with all necessary components to complete the work. This investment will significantly improve system reliability and treatment capacity for current and future customers. The project was previously approved for a Financial Assistance Program (FAP) loan not to exceed $10.6 million, and the additional funds will help cover increased construction costs and associated project expenses.

The District is requesting an FAP loan not to exceed $2,340,000 to perform the construction along with all appurtenances required to complete the project and to establish a debt service reserve.

According to Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, the District’s  customers will save an estimated $691,200 compared to traditional financing. The loan shall be secured with a lien on the revenues of the District’s  sewer services.

Local officials attending the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application included Manager Todd McGuire. "I appreciate your time and consideration,” stated McGuire. “As mentioned, our bids came in a little higher than we hoped. These funds that we are requesting are to help cover the construction costs."

“We are grateful to State Legislators from the Rogers County/Claremore area for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.

Since 1983, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board has approved over $8.2 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.