Press Release

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Waurika Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for $1,000,000 in funding Tuesday 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 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with $3,805,000 in Congressionally Directed Environmental Protection Agency grants.

The Authority will use these proceeds to replace two (2) traditional solid contact clarifiers, three (3) multimedia filters, a chemical feed, backwash redundancy, filter to waste piping, and a clear well in the water treatment plant. Disinfecting drinking water has reduced airborne disease dramatically. However, byproducts which may result by the disinfection can sometimes have unintended effects. Therefore, by addressing this issue, this project helps to meet the public health goals for the state.  

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,553,200 compared to traditional financing.