Nearly $2 million in infrastructure improvements to counties and cities were recently funded by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
The largest of the projects was $1,575,000 n funding for the Cherokee County Rural Water District No. 11. The District will use the funds to lay 3,120 feet of new 6-inch water line to connect Cherokee County Rural Water District No. 9 to Cherokee County District No. 11, install stand-by generators at the water treatment plant, and to construct a new 150,000 gallon water standpipe.
Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) with $179,000 of the loan coming in the form of loan forgiveness and an additional $673,000 grant from the Cherokee Nation.
The board also approved $100,000 in water system improvements for the McIntosh County Rural Water, Sewer, Gas and Solid Waste Management District No. 8.
The district will use the funds for system improvements to address disinfection byproduct issues. Disinfecting drinking water has reduced waterborne disease drastically. However, byproducts which may result by the disinfection process can sometimes have unintended effects. Therefore, by addressing this issue, this project helps meet the public health goals for the state.
The Keota Public Works Authority in Haskell County received a nearly $80,000 loan. The Authority will use the funds to install a land application system in its wastewater treatment process. The estimated cost of the project is $79,999 which is the amount of the requested OWRB REAP grant.
The Haworth Public Works Authority in McCurtain County received a $42,255 grant. The Authority has a wastewater cell lagoon system that has experienced a breach from one cell into another which has resulted in additional erosion. In order to correct the situation, the Authority will temporarily divert flow from the damaged cell so it may be repaired.
A $127,655 loan was approved to the Copan Public Works Authority which will use the money to plan and design a sewer system rehabilitation and prevent contaminants from enter Copan Lake and the Little Caney River.
The Water Resources Board’s final grant was $53,000 to the Cherokee County Rural Water District No. 7 which will replace nearly 300 feet of security fencing and do standpipe rehabilitation.
The Water Board’s next meeting will be held March 16, 2021.