Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 1, Beckham County, Oklahoma Receives $612,500 Grant for System Improvements from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Rural Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Management District No. 1, Beckham County, Oklahoma (District) received approval for $612,500 in funding 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 OWRB American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program.
The District will utilize the proceeds to complete critical rehabilitation work on its ground storage tank, a key component of the community’s water system. The tank is showing signs of age and requires protective upgrades to ensure long-term reliability. The project will include sandblasting and applying a new protective coating to both the interior and exterior of the tower, replacing approximately 300 linear feet of waterline, and installing all necessary supporting components. The estimated cost of the project is $612,500.00 which will be funded by the OWRB ARPA Grant of $612,500.00.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $1,015,500.00 compared to traditional financing.
“We are grateful to State Senator Brent Howard and State Representatives Nick Archer and Anthony Moore for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
The ARPA grant program is administered by the OWRB with funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and appropriated through the 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 $8.3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
