Press Release

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Talihina Public Works Authority (Authority) in LeFlore County received approval for a $99,999 Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grant Tuesday through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s wastewater infrastructure.

The Authority will use these proceeds to conduct a sanitary sewer inflow and infiltration (I&I) study to analyze the entire sewer system. Projects resulting from this study could reduce unintended flows to the wastewater treatment plant and reduce inflow and infiltration for community residents and businesses in and near the Authority. The estimated cost of the project is $99,999 which is the amount of the OWRB REAP Grant requested.

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the grant will save the Authority’s customers $183,100 in principal and interest charges by not having to borrow the project funds. Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved over $6.5 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.