The Grove Municipal Services Authority Receives $1,000,000 Wastewater System Loan from the OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY –The Grove Municipal Services Authority (Authority) received approval for a $1,000,000 loan Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s wastewater infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the wastewater system will be financed by the Oklahoma Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
The Grove Municipal Services Authority is undertaking a significant project to enhance the efficiency and reliability of its wastewater treatment plant, which processes an average daily flow of 0.5 MGD. The current dewatering system, consisting of two belt presses with only one operational, poses high maintenance and operational demands. To address these challenges, the project will include demolishing and relocating the existing belt press, installing a new belt press, and incorporating a screw press, along with all necessary appurtenances. These upgrades will improve odor control, reduce energy consumption, and enhance the plant’s ability to efficiently dewater effluent. The improvements will ensure the Authority continues to meet discharge standards for effluent entering Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. The estimated cost of the project is $1,000,000.00, fully funded by a CWSRF loan.
Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $272,300 compared to traditional financing. The CWSRF loan will be secured by a lien on their water, sewer, and gas revenues, a 2.4 cent sales tax and may include a mortgage on the water, sewer, and gas systems.
The Grove Municipal Services Authority’s official attending the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application was Aston York, water and wastewater treatment plant superintendent. “We would like to thank you for considering the loan,” said Mr. York. “ This is much needed work. We have been working on this project for about 5 years and we are excited to get it finished.”
"These projects to benefit the residents of Grove are much appreciated,’ said Majority Floor Leader Josh West, R-Grove. “Clean and safe water is of the utmost importance for the health of our citizens, and I appreciate the foresight of OWRB to meet these needs."
“We are grateful to State Legislators from the Grove area for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
The CWSRF program is administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CWSRF program has provided approximately $2.8 billion inwater quality 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.
