Press Release

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Checotah Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for $1,600,000 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s water infrastructure.  The first request was for $1,000,000 financed by the Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with Muscogee Creek Nation Tribal funds of $1,000,000 and Indian Health Services funds of $640,000.  A second request was for $600,000 financed by the ARPA grant program along with Muscogee Creek Nation Tribal funds of $600,000, and Indian Health Services funds of $303,000.

The Authority owns and operates a public water supply system. The proceeds from the first request will be utilized to install mixing surface aeration and forced air ventilation in the existing clearwell and construct a new 500,000-gallon clearwell upstream of the current one for system redundancy. The proceeds from the second request will be used to  replace aging waterlines with six-inch and eight-inch PVC pipe in the southeast portion of the system.

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $2,590,600 compared to traditional financing.