Jet receives water system funding from OWRB
The Jet Utilities Authority (Authority) received approval Tuesday for $861,500 in funding from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s water infrastructure.
Construction of improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) while $250,000 of the loan will be in the form of loan forgiveness, and $88,922 in REAP grant funds.
The Authority will use the funds to construct a new elevated water storage tank and a chemical feed building. Disinfecting drinking water has reduced waterborne disease drastically.
However, byproducts which may result from the disinfection process can have unintended effects. Therefore, by addressing this issue, the project helps meet the public health goals for the state.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $461,000 over the life of the 30-year loan compared to traditional financing. The DWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water and sewer systems and a mortgage.
Mayor Jim Blackledge said, “I want to express our great appreciation for OWRB making our water tower project a reality. We are genuinely grateful to you for the outstanding dedication demonstrated in helping the town of Jet acquire the funding needed for this important project.”
The DWSRF program is administered by the OWRB and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The DWSRF program has provided approximately $1.5 billion in drinking water loans to provide communities the resources necessary to maintain and improve the infrastructure that protects our valuable water resources statewide.
Since 1983, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board has approved over $4.8 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB, and Scott Thompson, Executive Director of the ODEQ, express their sincere appreciation to State Senator Roland Pederson and State Representative Carl Newton for their support of the DWSRF program.