OKLAHOMA CITY – The Okemah Utilities Authority (Authority) received approval for a $2,365,000 Financial Assistance Program (FAP) loan Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve their water infrastructure.
The Okemah Utilities Authority’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP), built in 1964, is in poor condition with several deficiencies, including issues with the chlorine feed system, backwash lagoons, and filters. To address these challenges, the Authority is planning to construct a new 3-million-gallon-per-day WTP with updated flocculation, clarification, and filtration units, a new chemical building, treated water pumping facility, backwash lagoons, and an above-grade clearwell for treated water storage.
The project is estimated at $31,725,000, with the Authority requesting an additional $2,365,000 FAP loan to cover costs beyond the initial $22,870,000 FAP loan approved in 2022. The project is also supported by an ARPA grant of $1,000,000, $10,573,000 from Indian Health Services, and $75,000 in local funds.
According to Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $630,500 compared to traditional financing. The loan shall be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s Water, Sewer, and a one-cent sales tax.
