The Jay Utilities Authority receives $10,600,000 water system funding from OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Jay Utilities Authority (Authority) received approval for $10,600,000 in funding Thursday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s water infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), where $800,000 will be in the form of loan forgiveness, and $2,000,000 from Indian Health Services.
The Authority will utilize the proceeds to construct a two (2)-million gallons per day (MGD) water treatment plant which includes: one (1) rapid mix basin, two (2) 1.0-MGD pulsating clarifiers, four (4) 0.69-MGD declining rate cluster filters, three (3) 1.0-MGD high service pumps, and one (1) new chemical feed building. These improvements will ensure that the Authority continues to meet Surface Water Treatment Rule requirements and can provide an adequate supply of drinking water.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $6,160,000 over the life of the 30-year loan compared to traditional financing. The DWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water, sewer, sanitation, and gas systems and a one (1) cent sales tax, and a mortgage. The Jay Utilities Authority’s Chairman, Becki Farley, and Treasurer, Kay Pickup, attended the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application. Ms. Farley stated, “Our water plant is over 50 years old. The community of Jay appreciates the Board’s consideration of this project.”
