Arkoma receives $1,000,000 grant

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Town of Arkoma received approval for $1,000,000 in funding Thursday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Town’s water and wastewater infrastructure.  Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water and wastewater systems will be financed by the Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program.  

The Town owns and operates a public sanitary sewer and water distribution system which experiences a significant amount of inflow and infiltration due to aged mains and deteriorated manholes. These proceeds will be used to replace sewer mains and install a new water main on the south side of the Town. 

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Town’s customers will save an estimated $1,637,400 compared to traditional financing.  

The ARPA grant program is administered by the OWRB with funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and appropriated through the Water and Wastewater American Rescue Plan Act grants program. This OWRB program has been structured to provide communities and other eligible entities financial resources necessary to address water and wastewater infrastructure needs within their systems. Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved over $7.0 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.  

“We are grateful to State Senator George Burns and State Representative Rick West for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.