Ponca City Utility Authority Receives $1,000,000 Grant for System Improvements

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Ponca City Utility Authority (Authority) received approval for $1,000,000 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

The study, planning, and construction of upgrades and improvements to the systems will be financed by the Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with $1,000,000 in local funds.

The Authority is in need of a new method for raw water delivery, lead and copper service line master inventory to identify lines for replacement, and rehabilitation of approximately 5,500 linear feet (LF) of 8-inch sanitary sewer lines. These proceeds will be used to conduct a review and analysis for the raw water intake lines, develop a sampling plan to determine potential hazardous services lines, and rehabilitate or replace 5,500 LF of 8-inch sanitary sewer line, and  twenty-five (25) manholes.

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,633,900 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 $6.9 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

“We are grateful to State Senator Bill Coleman and State Representative Ken Luttrell for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.

State Representative Ken Luttrell-R-Ponca City-District 37