Press Release

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Bartlesville Municipal Authority (Authority) received approval for a $83,235,500 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 Authority currently owns and operates a wastewater treatment plant that is aging and undersized for anticipated flows through the year 2050. The proposed project is to both rehabilitate existing infrastructure as well as to expand the plant to increase capacity and support Indirect Potable Reuse.  The project will help meet the State of Oklahoma’s Water for 2060 goals by focusing on water use and conservation.

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s  customers will save an estimated $35,417,900 over the life of the 30-year loan compared to traditional financing. The CWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water and sewer systems. Bartlesville Municipal Authority’s officials attending the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application included Terri Lauritsen, Public Works Director and Jason Muninger, Finance Director. Mr. Lauritsen stated, “The Authority is very grateful for the OWRB in helping us get to this point as our city has worked towards this project for the last 14 years.”