News

“The OWRB has always been a leader in providing high quality services to the citizens of Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin. “I am not surprised agency employees take so much pride in their work. Congratulations to Executive Director J.D. Strong and his staff for being recognized as a ‘Top Workplace’ in Oklahoma.”

Determination of the Top Workplaces is based solely on employee feedback from independent surveys conducted by Workplace Dynamics, LLP, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement.

“We are extremely proud and honored to be included among these superior organizations,” says Strong, “but it simply validates what I’ve known for years – that the OWRB is an amazing place to work because of its intelligent, dedicated and compassionate public servants.”

Board Chairman Rudy Herrmann adds, "Speaking on behalf of my fellow Board Members, we have long been impressed with the capabilities, professionalism and commitment of the OWRB staff. As such, I am very pleased that this group of dedicated state employees has received the recognition they so richly deserve."

Strong affirms, “The most rewarding aspect of this honor is that it is based on the sentiments of our staff. I look forward to utilizing the great feedback we received from the survey to identify ways we can further improve both our work environment and our service to the people of Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma’s water agency since 1957, the mission of the OWRB is to enhance the quality of life for Oklahomans by managing, protecting, and improving the state’s water resources to ensure clean, safe, and reliable water supplies, a strong economy, and a healthy environment. The primary duties and responsibilities of the agency—which employs approximately 100 scientists, engineers and financial analysts—include water use appropriation and permitting, water quality monitoring and standard-setting, financial assistance for water and sewer infrastructure, dam safety, floodplain management, water supply planning (including development of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan), technical studies and research, and water resource mapping.

For more information about the Top Workplaces, visit The Oklahoman's website or www.topworkplaces.com.

Standard & Poor’s raised its rating of the OWRB’s State Revenue Bond Loan Program (FAP) Financial Assistance Program obligations to triple-A. Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, received notice of the upgrade earlier this month.

"This is great news for the municipalities and rural water and sewer districts that receive loans from our FAP program,” said J.D. Strong, executive director of the OWRB. “The interest rates on those loans will be lower than what they could receive in the conventional financing market.”

The AAA rating affects approximately $290 million in fixed-rate and variable-rate FAP bonds, Freeman said. It also will affect the sale next spring of FAP bonds whose proceeds will be earmarked for new construction, he said. The first FAP loan was made in 1986, and over the past 27 years the Water Resources Board has made 361 FAP loans totaling $891 million, ledgers reflect.

Altogether, the OWRB has issued 795 loans from its three loan programs – the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and the Financial Assistance Program fund – worth approximately $3 billion, Freeman said. Those loans have financed water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout the state.

In explaining why it boosted the OWRB’s FAP revenue bond rating to AAA, S&P wrote that the revision is “reflective of the program’s low industry risk score and very strong market position; extremely strong loss coverage score due to program reserves and annual coverage generated from borrower payments, which is bolstered by the excellent history of borrower repayment; and … generally strong financial policies and practices.”

The OWRB has reserves of $23.6 million in cash and investments, coupled with $28.5 million in surety bonds, the S&P report relates.

The credit rating agency also noted that a year ago Oklahoma voters approved State Question 764, which authorized the Water Board to issue up to $300 million in general obligation bonds “should additional funds be needed to avoid a default on bonds issued by” the OWRB.

Contact: Joe Freeman, Oklahoma Water Resources Board

The theme of the two-day Conference/Symposium (October 22-23) is “The Future on Tap.” The event will feature dozens of prominent local, state and national water experts, including two candid “roundtable” discussions of key water policy and management issues.

Delivering the keynote address will be Steven Solomon, author of “Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization.” He will recount the role of water in the power struggles, personalities, and breakthroughs that have shaped humanity, including ongoing problems of freshwater scarcity and the looming challenges driving political, economic, and environmental realities across the globe.

The Conference/Symposium, co-sponsored by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and Oklahoma Water Resources Center, is expected to attract hundreds of water officials and citizens who share an avid interest in Oklahoma’s water resources and the latest developments concerning water management and quality, infrastructure financing, and other vital water issues.

In addition, two Oklahomans will be honored with the Oklahoma Water Pioneer Award, presented each year to those men and women who have made significant contributions in the planning, development, management, and conservation of Oklahoma’s water resources.

To register for the 34th Annual Oklahoma Governor’s Water Conference and Research Symposium, visit http://www.owrb.ok.gov. For more information, call 405-530-8800.

Eddy Parker, Mayor, Jimmy Stokes, City Manager, Cathy Condit, City Clerk/Treasurer, and Mike Warwick, City Attorney attended the board meeting in support of the loan application.

The $4.3 million will be used to upgrade the town’s 2 million-gallon per day rapid sand filtration water treatment plant, and to install approximately eight miles of water line to Wes Watkins Reservoir, project blueprints indicate.

Tecumseh’s primary source of drinking water is Tecumseh Lake. However, the water treatment plant was shut down for much of 2012 because of low water levels in the lake.  The city of 6,000 residents was then dependent on production from its water wells until Tecumseh began buying potable water from Shawnee via a connection through the Pottawatomie County Development Authority. Tecumseh also has an emergency connection of limited capacity to Pottawatomie County Rural Water District #3.

Tecumseh purchased water from Shawnee for more than a year until pumping from the replenished Tecumseh Lake resumed in July.

To avoid a repetition of last year’s crisis, officials plan to install a 12-inch diameter waterline from Tecumseh’s water treatment plant to Wes Watkins Reservoir – Tecumseh owns a share of the water rights in the lake – and to enlarge the treatment plant.

The treatment plant renovations will include construction of a clarifier, one lift station, a carbon feed system to remove organic contaminants and to control the taste and odor of the treated water, three metal buildings, a new gravel drive, a new pump and a new generator, plus electrical system improvements and controls.

In addition, three new lagoons will be constructed to accompany three existing lagoons. Each new lagoon will be approximately 259 feet long, 69 feet wide and 13 feet deep, making them capable of holding approximately 1.73 million gallons each.

The state Department of Environmental Quality certified the Tecumseh application in regards to compliance with technical program requirements, and recommended approval of the loan by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The DWSRF is administered jointly by the DEQ and the OWRB, and is designed to provide low-interest loans for drinking water infrastructure projects, Strong related.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Resources Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Tecumseh’s 2,381 water customers will realize an estimated $1.2 million in interest savings over the 30-year life of the state loan, compared to traditional financing.

The loan will be secured with a lien on Tecumseh’s water, sewer, electric, and trash collection systems, a one cent sales tax and perhaps a mortgage on the town’s water and sewer systems, Freeman said.
Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

“We are grateful to state Sen. Ron Sharp and state Rep. Josh Cockroft for their support of this project,” Strong said.

Mayor Eddie Whitworth and City Manager Robert Johnson attended the board meeting in support of the loan application.

Frederick pipes its sewage to a wastewater treatment plant comprised of an East Lagoon and an Industrial Lagoon that’s located near the airport. The lagoons are flow-through types, with the option to either discharge or land apply.

The city has been ordered by the state Department of Environmental Quality to rehabilitate its sewage lagoons because the treated effluent they discharge violates environmental quality requirements.

The 6.57-acre primary cell of the Industrial Lagoon will be split in equal halves, project blueprints indicate. One-half will be used to develop a pair of aeration lagoons; the other half will be used as a settling lagoon and utilized for expansion in the future, if required. Also, influent lift station pumps will be replaced.

At the East Lagoon, a new secondary storage cell will be constructed, surface aerators will be installed at the primary cell, and the east and north pivots at the East Lagoon land application system will be replaced.

In addition, sludge that has accumulated in both the East and Industrial lagoons from the wastewater treatment process over the years will be removed.

Project engineers said the renovations will improve the sewage treatment process but will not increase the city’s wastewater treatment capacity.

The East Lagoon, which has a primary cell with a surface area of 1.6 acres and two evaporation cells with a combined area of 17.6 acres, can process 1.3 million gallons per day. The Industrial Lagoon, which has the 6.57-acre primary cell and an evaporation cell with a surface area of 6.1 acres, can handle 550,000 gpd, records reflect.

Wastewater from Frederick’s 1,800 customers is collected and delivered to the treatment lagoons via 60 miles of sanitary sewer lines constructed of various materials, including cast iron, clay, concrete, ductile iron and PVC, records show.

Consulting engineers estimate the $7.88 million improvement project will take a year to complete after a Notice to Proceed is issued.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Resources Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the 30-year state loan will save Frederick utility customers an estimated $2,214,000 in interest charges compared to traditional financing.

Freeman said the loan, from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, will be secured with a lien on the municipality's electric, water, sewer and trash collection receipts, and perhaps a mortgage on the town’s water and sewer systems.  

Frederick received a loan from the Water Resources Board in 2009 for a drinking water project, but this is the first time the city has secured a loan from the Water Board for a wastewater improvement project, ledgers indicate.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We thank state Sen. Tom Ivester and state Rep. Don Armes for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

The announcement was issued by J.D. Strong, executive director of the state agency.

James Jennings, Mayor and Ken Hicks, City Attorney, attended the Water Board's regular monthly meeting to express support for the loan application.

The Wagoner Public Works Authority provides potable water to almost 3,400 customers, including Wagoner County Rural Water District #6. Raw water pumped from Fort Gibson Lake is processed at a 3 million-gallon per day, rapid sand filtration treatment plant.

Proceeds from the state loan will be used to expand the treatment plant to 4 mgd capacity. The project will include construction of a new process building; new clarifiers, filters and water pumps; a new chemical feed system; modifications to the residual lagoons; and rehabilitation of the raw-water intake lines.

Treated water is stored in a 177,000-gallon clear well and in four tanks that have a combined capacity of 1,225,000 gallons of potable water. The water is distributed to customers via a 75-mile network of pipes.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund will save Wagoner utility customers $2.4 million in interest charges over the 20-year debt repayment period.

Freeman said the loan will be secured with a lien on Wagoner's utility revenues and perhaps a mortgage on the city's water and sewer systems.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We thank state Sen. Kim David and state Rep. Wade Rousselot for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

Mayor Pat Kennedy attended the Water Board's regular monthly meeting to express support for the loan application.

Oilton has 14.5 miles of gravity-flow collection lines that route sewage from the town's 523 residential and commercial sewer customers to the municipal wastewater treatment plant, which consists of a pair of lagoons that together total nine acres. Oilton has been directed to renovate its wastewater treatment system because its effluent violates environmental regulations.

The proposed improvement project is to include construction of two new lagoons - each one-third acre in size - with mechanical aeration, an influent pump station, two 4,800-gallon chlorine contact basins with a pump station, a 1,728-square-foot filter building with a pair of flocculation tanks and two filter modules and a chemical-feed system, plus a concrete cascade aerator and associated piping.

The project will improve the water quality of treated effluent that Oilton discharges into a tributary of the Cimarron River, civil engineers report.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund will save Oilton utility customers $855,000 in interest charges over the 20-year debt repayment period.

Freeman said the loan will be secured with a lien on the city's water and sewer receipts, the proceeds of a 2-cent sales tax, and perhaps a mortgage on Oilton's utility systems.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We thank state Sen. Brian Bingman and state Rep. Skye McNiel for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

Custer City, which has approximately 375 residents, pumps its drinking water from three wells located approximately nine miles east of town. The water is transported from the wells through transmission lines that cross several ravines and tributaries of Deer Creek to a water storage tank and booster pump station four miles east of Custer City.

Heavy rains last year on Little Deer Creek exposed the water transmission line at two creek crossings. "This is the only water supply line to Custer City and needs to be replaced as soon as possible," the Altus engineering firm of Glenn Briggs & Associates advised.

The water supply of hundreds of Western Oklahomans is at risk until the damage is repaired, officials noted. Water consumption from the Custer City well field from July 2011 through January 2012 totaled almost 32 million gallons, ledgers reflect. Usage in Custer City during that period accounted for 17 million gallons, and the town sold nearly 15 million gallons to Custer County Rural Water District #3.

The REAP grant will be used to install the water line across the creek at a greater depth "and without open cuts on the creek banks, which would cause further erosion," Briggs & Associates reported.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the grant will save Custer City utility customers approximately $180,000 in principal and interest, because they won't have to borrow funds to make the waterline repairs.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including $52 million in REAP grants, for water and sewer infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We thank state Sen. Mike Schulz and state Rep. Harold Wright for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

The district previously operated a two-cell flow-through sewage lagoon system that served a population of approximately 390. However, the lagoons were taken out of service after a lift station was constructed in 2010 to pump the district’s sewage to Atoka’s wastewater treatment plant.

RWD#2 has been ordered by the state Department of Environmental Quality to modify the district’s primary lagoon and close its secondary lagoon. According to consulting engineers Mehlburger Brawley of McAlester, the work will entail covering the lagoon sludge, performing earthwork and site grading.

The project will cost an estimated $99,999 and will be financed with the proceeds from the REAP grant coupled with $28,499 in district matching funds, ledgers reflect.

The primary lagoon will be used as an emergency flow-equalization basin, officials said. Any time a power failure occurs at the lift station, the district can divert its wastewater into the flow-equalization basin “holding pond” until electricity service is restored.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the state grant will save Atoka County RWD#2 customers an estimated $128,700 in principal and interest, because they won’t have to borrow those funds.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including $52 million in REAP grants, for water and sewer infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We thank state Sens. Josh Brecheen and Jerry Ellis, and state Rep. Bobby Cleveland, for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

The district's system is comprised of four water wells, several water storage standpipes, and 550 miles of water distribution lines primarily in the eastern side of Garfield County but also extending into Noble County.

Four of the standpipes need a facelift, Wdb Engineering of Oklahoma City informed the Water Board. The tanks "surpassed their paint's lifecycle several years ago," consulting engineer David Wyatt wrote. Consequently, he said, the condition of the standpipes "will continue to rapidly deteriorate if no action is taken."

The $100,000 in dedicated funding is earmarked for a fresh coat of paint on the four tanks. Blueprints indicate that at the district's Fairmont, Garber, and Billings tanks, the interior will be sandblasted and painted, while the exterior will be washed and receive an overcoat. Both the interior and exterior of the Hunter tank will be sandblasted and painted. Nothing will be done at this time to the district's other water storage tanks at Covington and Boss, officials reported.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the state grant will save the  customers of Garfield #6 an estimated $122,400 in principal and interest charges by not having to borrow that money.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including $52 million in REAP grants, for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We appreciate state Sens. A.J. Griffin and Mike Schulz, and state Reps. John Enns and R.C. Pruett, for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

The Depew PWA owns and operates a water and sewer system that serves a population of approximately 500. Groundwater is pumped from three wells, chlorinated, and then stored in a water tower.

Because of its age and size, Depew's water system needs to be overhauled and enlarged, according to engineering consultants Poe & Associates of Tulsa. However, due to the projected expense, the improvements will have to be constructed in phases.

Blueprints indicate that in the first stage, the $91,086 will be earmarked to replace the pumps in two of the town's wells with larger pumps, upgrade the electrical wiring and controls at all three wells, replace the roofs on two of the pump buildings, to buy a spare well pump for use in the event of an emergency, and install a new 6-inch diameter water line.

The new line is intended to connect a proposed fourth well to the distribution system at the site of a proposed new water storage standpipe in the southwest corner of town. A new storage tank is needed to boost water pressure in town and because the existing, 65,000-gallon water tower is old and inadequate; water consumption in Depew averages about 53,000 gallons per day, Poe & Associates calculated.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, estimated that the REAP grant will save Depew utility customers nearly $146,000 in principal and interest payments by not having to borrow the funds.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including $52 million in REAP grants, for water and sewer infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We appreciate Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman and state Rep. Skye McNiel for their support of our financial assistance programs," OWRB Executive Director J.D. Strong said.

The Lone Chimney Water Association is the sole or primary source of drinking water for Yale, Glencoe, Morrison, Blackburn, Skedee, Maramec and Terlton, and a supplemental source of water for Pawnee and Cleveland. Besides its municipal customers, the association also sells water wholesale to 51 East Water Inc., Pawnee County Rural Water Districts #2, #3 and #4, Payne County RWD#4, Noble County RWD#2, and Lincoln County Rural Water and Sewer District #4.

Lone Chimney Lake is a source of drinking water for approximately 16,500 people in four counties according to estimates by the state Department of Environmental Quality.

The association draws its water from Lone Chimney Lake, which is south of Pawnee and encompasses 514 surface acres in normal conditions. However, the lake shrunk precipitously in droughts in 2006, 2010, and again last year.

The association operates a 2 million-gallon per-day water treatment plant located two and a half miles north of Glencoe and about seven miles south of Pawnee.

The LCWA treatment plant is equipped with four multimedia filters, each with a surface area of 160 square feet. According to consulting engineers Mehlburger Brawley of Oklahoma City, the Lone Chimney filters were designed to process a maximum of almost 3.4 million gallons of water daily.

Those filters are cleaned by back-flushing them with water. The treatment plant has a 275,000-gallon backwash lagoon plus a pair of clarifier waste lagoons where the dirty water is stored. The east lagoon has a maximum retention capacity of 925,605 gallons and was cleaned last year, Mehlburger Brawley reported. The west lagoon has a total volume of slightly more than a million gallons, but that holding pond "is full of sludge and is in need of cleaning," the engineers said.

In addition, the backwash water decant pumping station "has outlived its useful life and has deteriorated to the point that it is not functional and major rehabilitation is required," the consultants wrote.

An ability to decant the backwash water--draw off clear water at the top without disturbing the residuals at the bottom of the pool--to the headworks of the water treatment plant would save a substantial amount of water, the engineers maintain. It would enable the LCWA to conserve "5 percent to 10 percent of their water--perhaps 60,000 to 120,000 gallons per day," Mehlburger Brawley estimated.

The $135,000 from the state grant and the local funds is earmarked for rehabilitation of the backwash decant pumping station. Blueprints indicate the project will consist of replacing two 75-horsepower, 150-gallon per-minute pumps and installing new interior piping, guide rails, a chain and hoist mechanism and electrical controls.

In a related matter, construction on an 11.5-mile, 12-inch diameter pipeline that will convey potable water from Stillwater's water treatment plant to Lone Chimney's water distribution system is expected to be finished in September.

Lone Chimney Lake will remain the association's primary water source and the pipeline to Stillwater will be a backup, emergency line, officials said. However, the LCWA will be obligated to take-or-pay for two million gallons of treated water each month.

Stillwater gets its raw water from Kaw Lake, an impoundment on the Arkansas River that covers 27 square miles in Kay County.

The LCWA-Stillwater pipeline project is being financed with a 30-year, $3,355,000 low-interest loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund that the Water Resources Board approved last September.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the REAP grant will save LCWA customers almost $180,000 in principal and interest charges, by not having to borrow the money.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including $52 million in REAP grants, for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We appreciate state Sens. James Halligan, Eddie Fields, and A.J. Griffin, and state Reps. Lee Denney and Dennis Casey, for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

Westville, an Adair County community of approximately 1,750 residents, has a central sewage collection/treatment system. However, locations in the south-central part of town have septic tank systems that are failing, consulting engineer Paul Douglas Harvell of Sallisaw reported.

Blueprints indicate two sewer line extensions--675 linear feet of 8-inch diameter PVC pipe and 535 linear feet of 6-inch PVC pipe--will be installed to connect those customers to the town's central sewer system. The two lines are essential to enable the wastewater from those locations to be transported to the municipal sewage treatment facility, Harvell wrote.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Westville utility customers will realize approximately $130,000 in principal and interest savings from the REAP grant by not having to borrow that money.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including $52 million in REAP grants, for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We appreciate state Sen. Wayne Shaw and state Rep. William Fourkiller for their support of our financial assistance programs," Strong said.

Doug Ray, District Manager and David Wyatt, Project Engineer, appeared before the board in support of the loan application.

The $3,074,650 will be used to increase the capacity of the district’s water treatment plant by 50 percent, records reflect.

Blueprints indicate the $3,074,650 project will include installation of new filters, a new decant pump station, and new pump stations. The project also will include construction of a new 350,000-gallon water storage clearwell; it will replace an existing 68,000-gallon clearwell where treated water is stored prior to being pumped into the district’s 350-mile network of water distribution lines.

The improvements will boost the plant’s treatment capacity from 1 million gallons per day to 1.5 mgd, officials said. The district filters and disinfects raw water that is drawn from Lake Hudson under a contract with the Grand River Dam Authority. The treatment plant is situated on the west side of the lake.

The RWD#6 water system also includes five booster pump stations and five standpipes that have a combined storage capacity of nearly half a million gallons of treated water.

Water consumption in the district last year totaled a little over 126 million gallons, an average of 10.5 million gallons per month.

The district has 1,742 residential and commercial customers plus two wholesale buyers: the Town of Adair and Mayes County Rural Water District #8. Water connections in RWD#6 increased by almost one-fourth between 2000 and 2012, ledgers show.

The Mayes County RWD#6 service territory ranges – roughly – from the Craig County line on the north, north/south Road 433 on the west, extending around the northern and eastern perimeters of Adair, south along Road 437, down to the lower end of Lake Hudson, then northeasterly back to the Mayes/Craig county line, skirting Salina and passing to the west of Langley.

The state Department of Environmental Quality certified the Mayes County RWD#6 application in regards to compliance with technical program requirements, and recommended approval of the loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The DWSRF is administered jointly by the DEQ and the OWRB, and is designed to provide low-interest loans for drinking water infrastructure projects, Strong related.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Mayes County RWD#6 customers will save an estimated $777,000 in interest charges over the life of the 30-year loan, compared to traditional financing.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

“We are grateful to state Sens. John Ford, Sean Burrage, and Kim David, and state Reps. Doug Cox, Chuck Hoskin, and Ben Sherrer, for their support of our financial assistance programs,” Strong said.

Haileyville is under orders from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to upgrade its sewer system because of impermissible sewage discharges. Haileyville experiences overflows and unpermitted discharges during periods of heavy rainfall "due to the infiltration and inflow of storm water," consulting engineers Mehlburger Brawley of McAlester informed the Water Board.

The town's wastewater collection system consists primarily of clay tile lines plus some PVC plastic piping. Wastewater from the town's 364 sewer customers is conveyed to a 130,000-gallon per day sewage treatment plant, Mehlburger Brawley related.

Much of the sewer piping is in "poor condition," the consultants wrote. "Any significant rain event typically results in system failures..." The solution, the engineers said, is to remove and replace approximately 1,100 linear feet of 8-inch-diameter sewer main, along with approximately seven manholes.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance, calculated that the REAP grant will save Haileyville's utility customers an estimated $180,000 in principal and interest, by not having to borrow the funds.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including approximately $52 million in REAP grants, for water and sewer infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We are grateful to state Sen. Larry Boggs and state Rep. Brian Renegar for their support of our programs," Strong said.

The Delaware County community of approximately 400 residents has been ordered by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to correct deficiencies in its sanitary sewer system.

Oaks’ wastewater treatment plant is in “extremely poor condition,” consulting engineers Holloway, Updike and Bellen wrote in a report. The storage lagoon leaks and the wastewater irrigation pump station doesn’t work, they said. The facility is “not a good candidate for rehabilitation,” the consultants added.

Consequently, local officials plan to construct an entirely new wastewater treatment plant and abandon the existing facility. Blueprints indicate two new raw wastewater treatment lagoon cells plus a secondary storage lagoon will be constructed, along with a new electric pump station, and a new wastewater irrigation field will be created.

The lagoons will be able to accommodate 36,000 gallons of wastewater per day, and will be designed to hold the wastewater for 90 days, officials indicated. Collectively, the three lagoon cells will encompass three and one-half surface acres, records show.

The sanitary sewer project will cost an estimated at $1,589,499, and will be financed with federal, state and Native American funding, ledgers reflect. Besides the REAP grant from the Water Resources Board, the Cherokee Nation has pledged a $351,454 grant; the state Commerce Department has approved a $250,000 community development block grant; a Grand Gateway Economic Development Association REAP Grant of $60,500; an Indian Health Services Grant $78,547; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development arm has approved a $423,000 grant and a $326,000 loan.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the REAP grant will save Oaks utility customers an estimated $180,000 in principal and interest payments, by not having to borrow those funds.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including approximately $52 million in REAP grants, for water and sewer infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We are grateful to state Sen. Wayne Shaw and state Rep. William Fourkiller for their support of our programs," Strong said.

"Today's ruling is great news for the state of Oklahoma and yet another victory in the effort to protect our state's water resources. We've maintained all along that Oklahoma must have the ability to set its own water policy and today's unanimous Supreme Court decision solidifies that position. My congratulations go out to Attorney General Scott Pruitt and his office for their great work in this case on behalf of the state."
- Gov. Mary Fallin

Passed overwhelmingly by the 2012 State Legislature, the Water for 2060 Act made Oklahoma the first state in the nation to establish an ambitious goal of consuming no more freshwater in 2060 than is utilized today. The Act charges the Water for 2060 Advisory Council with studying and recommending appropriate water conservation and reuse practices, incentives, and educational programs to achieve this ambitious goal. Members are well versed in various water interests and were appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the State. The final appointment was made on May 22. Both the goal and the Council were a direct result of a priority recommendation of last year’s update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan (OCWP) calling for moderation of water use patterns to avoid impending deficits projected by the plan.

“The Council’s charge mirrors one of the Water Plan’s most fundamental grassroots recommendations to identify truly effective, vetted and feasible measures through which we can reduce Oklahoma’s water footprint. The Water Plan provided the data, but the Council members will provide the real world experience in identifying those conservation incentives and measures that have the greatest likelihood of success,” says J.D. Strong, OWRB Executive Director, who will chair the Council.

In addition to Strong, the other fourteen members are Jim Bachmann (Tulsa), Lauren Brookey (Tulsa), Tom Buchanan (Altus), Bob Drake (Davis), Danny Galloway (Stillwater), Roger Griffin (Broken Bow), Charlette Hearne (Broken Bow), Mark Helm (Oklahoma City), Nathan Kuhnert (Oklahoma City), Phil Richardson (Minco), Kevin Smith (Enid), Trent Smith (Choctaw), Joe Taron (Shawnee) and Jerry Wiebe (Hooker).

“I am tremendously excited to work with this impressive group. Each and every Council member shares my commitment to preserving our increasingly limited water supplies. We all recognize that conservation and reuse represent Oklahoma’s most viable strategy to reduce or eliminate future water deficits and the resulting devastation to our economy,” Strong adds.

More information on the Council’s objectives, membership, and current activities is available at www.owrb.ok.gov.

Rural Water and Sewer District #5 of Canadian County formerly was known as Heaston Rural Water Corp., documents show.

RW&SD#5 buys potable water from El Reno and resells it to the district's 250 water customers southwest of El Reno. The district encompasses approximately 80 square miles. Treated water is kept in a 150,000-gallon storage tank and is distributed through a network of approximately 58 miles of lines; most of the system was constructed 41 years ago, records indicate.

Myers Engineering of Oklahoma City reported that the district needs to replace its booster pump station at the El Reno Airport, because of significant corrosion. Rust could allow contaminants to enter the water distribution system, officials noted.

The repair project will entail construction of a new booster station surrounded by a security fence, installation of a backup power generator, lighting and heating, plus a small equipment storage area.

The REAP grant will be coupled with $44,105 in district funds to finance the improvements, which will cost an estimated $144,104.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the grant will save the district's customers approximately $180,000 in principal and interest charges by not having to borrow the funds.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including approximately $52 million in REAP grants, for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We are grateful to state Sen. Ron Justice and state Rep. Todd Russ for their support of our programs," Strong said.

Chattanooga, a community of approximately 461 residents, has 225 water customers, ledgers reflect.

Over the years the PWA has replaced most of the original 4-inch and 6-inch diameter sand-cast water lines in town with durable PVC plastic pipe. (Previously, iron pipes were cast in sand molds; consequently, they were commonly referred to as sand-cast pipes.)

There still are three sections of 4-inch sand-cast water lines in Chattanooga that need to be replaced, consulting engineer Stephen B. Cesar of Altus informed the Water Board. The section most in need of replacement is the 4-inch line on Second Street between Taylor and Washington Avenues, Cesar said; that line is shallow and badly deteriorated.

The older lines in town are "generally in poor condition and contain rust and mineral deposits that contribute to low water quality," Cesar reported. In addition, the existing 4-inch lines in Chattanooga cannot accommodate pumper fire truck hose connections "and are not sufficient to provide effective fire protection with modern firefighting equipment," the civil engineer said.

The state grant will pay for replacement of 2,650 linear feet of the 4-inch sand-cast line with new 6-inch PVC pipe, and installation of four new fire hydrants, blueprints indicate.

The project will improve the town’s water delivery system from Van Buren Avenue to Washington Avenue, Cesar indicated. “This will provide the townspeople with better fire protection and good-quality water" from its wells, said Strong.

The antiquated line between Taylor and Van Buren will be replaced in a separate project, Cesar said.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the REAP grant will save Chattanooga residents an estimated $179,370 in principal and interest by not having to borrow the funds.

The grant awarded Tuesday was the second Chattanooga has received from the Water Board in less than a year. The board approved a $43,498 state drought grant last September that was coupled with $7,677 in local funds to finance a third water well.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including approximately $52 million in REAP grants, for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We are grateful to state Sen. Don Barrington and state Rep. Don Armes for their support of our programs," Strong said.

The town of Butler owns and operates Frontier Development Authority. Butler lies near the junction of S.H. 44 and S.H. 33 in Custer County, approximately 14 miles north of Interstate 40 and about three miles north of Foss Lake.

The Authority sells water to 369 customers in the rural areas of Custer County around Foss and in the vicinity of Butler.

Frontier DA has been buying water from Hobart's allotment in the nearby reservoir, and receiving it at the Foss Master Conservancy District Water Treatment Plant.

The Authority is concerned that Hobart may need the water from Foss because Rocky Lake, Hobart’s alternate source of water, is deemed critical due to the protracted drought. If the drought persists, Foss, too, may become critical as a primary water source.

Consequently, the Frontier Development Authority wants to develop its own water supply system to provide an alternate or supplemental source of drinking water.

The Authority plans to drill a test well east of the Foss dam to find an ample source of groundwater. Frontier has permission to drill on some land that produced an irrigation well rated at 800 gallons per minute (1.15 million gallons per day), Briggs said; that well is no longer in use, he added.

Frontier Development Authority's annual water usage is 24.2 million gallons, an average of a little over 2 million gallons per month.

Besides the test well, the grant proceeds also will be used to develop a producing well, installing the well pump and constructing a well house, project blueprints show.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the REAP grant will save Frontier DA customers an estimated $179,244 in principal and interest charges by not having to borrow the funds.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including approximately $52 million in REAP grants, for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We are grateful to state Sen. Mike Schulz and state Rep. Harold Wright for their support of our programs," Strong said.

The district collects and treats wastewater from the town of Reydon, a community of approximately 200 residents about four miles east of the Texas state line.

Sewage flows by gravity from town to a lift station that pumps the wastewater into the community's sewage lagoon system, which consists of two primary treatment lagoons and two secondary treatment ponds. The lift station has two pumps, one of which is broken and cannot be repaired, while the other is of "marginal" quality and needs to be replaced.

In addition, a sewer system evaluation study discovered root intrusion at the bottom of several manholes, at some of the district's 91 customer service connections, and in some service lines.

The repair project will entail replacement of both lift station pumps with two new submersible pumps, replacement of 1,443 linear feet of sewer lines with new 8-inch diameter PVC lines, and installation of six new concrete manholes.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board's Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the state grant will save Rogers Mills RWS&SWMD#3 customers an estimated $178,423 in principal and interest charges, by not having to borrow the funds.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved $3 billion in loans and grants, including approximately $52 million in REAP grants, for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.

"We are grateful to state Sen. Mike Schulz and state Rep. Dan Fisher for their support of our programs," Strong said.

Robert Shelton, City Engineer appeared before the board in support of the loan application.
The loan proceeds will be used on four major wastewater treatment system projects, records reflect:

• Northside Wastewater Treatment Plant nitrification rehabilitation. Blueprints indicate the project will include replacing final clarifier launder covers, mud valves, aeration train gate valves, waste pumps and waste return pumps, blower cooling jackets, bio selector mixers and switch gear. The Northside WWTP was constructed in 1958. Its treatment capacity is rated at 42 million gallons of wastewater per day.
• Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant odor control. The improvements will include construction of an odor control biofilter for the 71st Street dewatering facility and design of odor control plans for the South Side intermediate pump station. The Southside WWTP is more than half a century old. Its treatment capacity is rated at 42 million gallons per day.
• Haikey Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant aeration basin study and repairs. The proposed project will feature a study of aerators and will recommend short-term and long-term solutions for aeration. The study will be jointly funded by the TMUA and Broken Arrow through the Regional Metropolitan Utility Authority, a joint venture among the cities of Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby and Owasso. The RMUA operates the Haikey Creek WWTP and is performing studies on future facilities. The Haikey Creek WWTP is about 36 years old. Its treatment capacity is rated at 16 million gallons per day.
• Mingo, Coal and Flatrock flow equalization basin improvements. That project will entail minor renovations to improve diversion of flow by installing flow meters in the basins, adding hoist rails for pump maintenance, and replacing sluice gates. A flow equalization basin adjusts flow rates to keep the wastewater flow to the treatment plant steady. The basin provides storage to hold wastewater when it arrives too rapidly, and to supply additional water when it arrives slower than desired.

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

Tulsa makes frequent use of the Water Board’s financial assistance programs. For example, the TMUA received a $32.5 million low-interest loan from the Water Resources Board last month to rehabilitate some dilapidated sewers, replace several sewer lines buried underneath some streets, and to extend the city’s central sewer system to several areas that have failing septic systems.

“We thank the Tulsa legislative delegation for their support of our financial assistance programs,” Strong said.

The OWRB’s grant will be combined with a $50,000 REAP grant from Grand Gateway Economic Development Association, $3.9 million in loans and grants from the U.S.D.A., plus $400,000 in local revenue, ledgers reflect.

The $4.45 million is earmarked for a major renovation to the town’s sewage treatment system, which serves 959 customers.

Fairland has a 16.4 million-gallon four-cell sewage lagoon treatment system that is not in compliance with revised wastewater discharge limits.

To correct the problem, blueprints indicate the city plans to construct a 13.6 million-gallon lagoon cell, lined with a synthetic membrane, for storage of treated wastewater. Also planned is a land application system for disposal of treated wastewater on 40 acres the town owns close to the treatment facility and on a portion of 200 acres the town owns three-quarters of a mile west of the lagoons.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the OWRB’s REAP grant will save Fairland’s 959 utility customers almost $180,000 in principal and interest payments, by not having to borrow that money.

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

“We thank state Sen. Charles Wyrick and state Rep. Larry Glenn for their support of our programs,” Strong said.

Jack Herrian, District Manager, appeared before the board in support of the loan application.
The local funds and loan proceeds will be used to construct 6.9 miles of 6-inch-diameter water lines in the northeastern quadrant of the district to increase water supply and pressure in the area, blueprints indicate.

The balance of the funds will be used to refinance a loan the district received from the OWRB in 1988 to install water supply lines in several subdivisions in its area.

The rural district provides potable water in approximately 400 square miles of a 532 square-mile area of Garfield and Kingfisher counties; the exceptions include Enid, Waukomis, Hennessey and Breckinridge.

The district’s boundaries range from north/south Garfield County Road 277 on the west (approximately 10 miles west of Waukomis), to north/south Garfield County Road 296 (Breckinridge) on the east, and from Lake Hellums Road north of Enid to east/west County Road 63 on the south, which is about the southern edge of Hennessey.

The district pumps groundwater from two wells, and stores treated water in four standpipes that have a combined capacity of 450,000 gallons.

Garfield County RW&SD#5 has more than 750 customers, and its water connections increased 13.6 percent over the past 10 years, records show.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Garfield #5 customers will realize an estimated $95,850 in interest savings over the 30-year life of the loan from the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Program, compared to traditional financing. The district also is locking in the debt at a fixed rate, Freeman added.

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

“We thank state Sens. Patrick Anderson and A.J. Griffin, and state Reps. Mike Jackson, John Enns, Mike Sanders and Dale DeWitt, for their support of our programs,” Strong said.

Jim Ford, Chairman and Kenneth Fitch, Trustee of the Authority appeared before the board in support of the loan application.

Blueprints indicate the funds will be used to construct two raw-water intake pumps, two rapid-mix tanks, four water-treatment basins; to equip four sedimentation basins with an automatic track-mounted sludge vacuum and three rapid sand filters; to replace the dual media in the treatment plant’s six existing filters with multimedia; to enlarge the 300,000-gallon clearwell where treated water is stored before being pumped into the distribution system; to install two high-service pumps, and to modify the existing sludge lagoons to increase capacity.

Grove draws raw water from Grand Lake and cleans and disinfects it in a 4.4 million-gallon per day treatment plant. Treated water is stored in six standpipes and an elevated tower that have a combined capacity of 5.35 million gallons, officials reported. The town’s distribution system consists of approximately 200 miles of water mains and half a dozen booster pump stations.

The Delaware County municipality has 5,681 water customers, ledgers reflect. Water connections in Grove increased 16 percent in the past eight years.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Grove utility customers will save an estimated $2,115,000 in interest charges over the 20-year life of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan, compared to traditional financing.

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

“We thank state Sen. Charles Wyrick and state Rep. Doug Cox for their support of our programs,” Strong said.

The REAP grant from the Water Board will be coupled with a $569,000 grant from the Choctaw Nation, a $350,000 Community Development Block Grant from the state Commerce Department, a $23.6 million loan/grant combination from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development arm, plus $52,300 in local funds, to finance the massive project.

Northern McCurtain County is one of the largest areas in Oklahoma that does not have a reliable and safe public water system.

Residents of the area are dependent on wells that produce low-quality water. “The water characteristics are not uniform from one well to another, but generally the water is moderately hard” and dissolved solids “exceed the recommended limits” in some instances, SMC Consulting Engineers reported. Because of the poor quality of the groundwater, many residents in the area are compelled to drink bottled water. In addition, the wells do not produce enough water to ensure regional fire protection, the consulting engineers reported.

According to the Oklahoma City engineering firm, most of the wells in the affected area range in depth from 60 to 150 feet. However, at least one resident “who has been using household water directly from Eagle Creek” hired a driller who went down 400 feet “and was unable to make any kind of well,” the consultants wrote.

Consequently, the $24.68 million is earmarked for development of a central water system that will buy water processed at the Broken Bow treatment plant and distribute it through a network of pipes extending, roughly, from Broken Bow in south-central McCurtain County northerly to five miles into southern LeFlore County.

Blueprints indicate the project will include construction of 85 miles of water lines ranging in size from 12 inches in diameter down to 2-inch lines, at least one water storage tank, two pump stations initially and three more later, a chlorine station for additional disinfection of the water at remote reaches of the system, plus several fire hydrants throughout the affected area.

SMC Consulting Engineers said the principal distribution artery of the system will stretch from Honobia east along Highway 144 to Octavia, then along Highway 259 south to Mt. Herman, Carter Mountain and the Broken Bow water treatment plant. Branches of the system will extend from Highway 259 along main roads through communities east and west of the main artery, and additional lines will extend from these branches to individual customers, businesses and populated areas.

Communities that will be served by the system include Mt. Herman, Bethel, Battiest, Pickens, Sherwood, Cooperville, Clebit, Smithville, Beachton, Zafra, Watson, Buffalo, Nanih Chibo, Plunketville, Octavia, Ludlow, Honobia, plus the McCurtain County Wilderness Area.

The consultants estimate the number of potential customers on the system at 720 to 1,000.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the OWRB’s REAP grant will save customers of McCurtain County RWD#6 approximately $180,000 in principal and interest charges, by not having to borrow those funds.

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

“We thank state Sen. Jerry Ellis and state Rep. Curtis McDaniel for their support of this badly needed project,” Strong said.

Karen Riffel, Town Administrator appeared before the board in support of the loan application.
A portion of the funds will be used to pay off bonds issued in 2000 to finance construction of Seiling’s 720,000 gallon-per-day reverse osmosis water treatment plant.

The balance of the funds will pay for extending municipal water and sewer services to a new commercial area northwest of Seiling. That project is expected to include construction of a truck stop with a truck wash plus two restaurants.

To serve the development, the Seiling Public Works Authority plans to install two miles of 12-inch diameter sewer line and two miles of 12-inch and 6-inch water lines to the commercial area, plus almost 1.3 miles of 6-, 8- and 12-inch water lines inside the addition. The project also will include construction of a 250,000-gallon water storage tank and a 900-gallon per minute water pump station, blueprints indicate.

Cardinal Engineering of Woodward reported that Seiling has water storage capacity of about 50,000 gallons, which is not enough to satisfy current demand, much less any community growth. The quarter-million-gallon standpipe will be stationed at a higher elevation, and will be augmented by the pump station, in order to provide adequate pressure to serve the new businesses and anticipated residential growth in the vicinity.

Seiling currently has 495 water customers and 403 sewer customers, records show. Water and sewer connections increased by more than 10 percent over the past seven years, city officials said.

The town has three water wells, and two more are being developed, Cardinal Engineering informed the Water Board. Treated water is distributed in Seiling through a 22-mile network of PVC, cast-iron and ductile iron pipes.

The new sewer line will increase flow to the sewage treatment lagoons. Nevertheless, the municipal wastewater collection system, which has approximately 10 miles of sewer mains, “will be able to convey the additional flow and the lagoon system has adequate capacity to absorb this growth,” the consulting engineers wrote.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the loan from the state agency’s Financial Assistance Program will save Seiling utility customers an estimated $870,000 in interest charges over the life of the debt, compared to traditional financing.

The loan will be secured with a lien on the receipts from the town’s water, sewer, sanitation and gas systems, the proceeds of a 2-cent city sales tax, and a mortgage on the town’s water, sewer and gas systems, Freeman said.

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

“We thank state Sen. Mike Schulz and state Rep. Mike Sanders for their support of these programs,” Strong said.

The $14 million loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s Financial Assistance Program was announced by J.D. Strong, executive director of the state agency.

Brian McDougal, City Manager, Cynthia Sementelli, Finance Director, Steve Nelms, Interim Utility Director, and Greg Price Interim Systems Plant Manager appeared before the board in support of the loan application.

The loan will be to refinance debt issued in 2003 to pay for construction of Wes Watkins Reservoir (also known as the North Deer Creek Reservoir).

Shawnee draws raw water from Shawnee Lake, Wes Watkins Reservoir and Twin Lakes in Pottawatomie County, and is permitted to draw water from the North Canadian River when necessary, records reflect.

The Municipal Authority provides treated water to more than 11,540 customers in and around the city limits, including the nearby town of Meeker, officials reported. Shawnee’s water connections increased by 6.4 percent over the past decade, ledgers indicate.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Shawnee utility customers will realize an estimated $2.5 million in interest savings over the life of the state loan, compared to traditional financing.

“We are grateful to state Sens. Ron Sharp and Harry Coates, and state Reps. Justin Wood, Josh Cockroft and Tom Newell, for their support of our financial assistance programs,” Strong said.

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

The loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board was announced by J.D. Strong, executive director of the agency.

The loan proceeds will be spent on projects in five distinct areas, officials reported.

• Tulsa’s sanitary sewer system will be extended to areas dependent on septic systems that are failing. Those areas include Romoland, Grimes Heights Phase 2, Quail Point, Deatherage Addition, 11th Street Acres, Forest Oaks, and an unplatted area on 11th Street.
• Sewers plagued by inflow and infiltration will be rehabilitated at several locations throughout the City.
• These projects are a continuation of rehabilitation of the wastewater collection system that began in 2008, city officials noted.
• Several sewer lines that are underneath streets, either in the right-of-way or crossing the street, will be replaced. The work will be performed in conjunction with street repairs that the Tulsa planned from the 2008 street bond issue.
• An 11.4 million-gallon expansion will be constructed to the fourth cell of the Cherry Creek flow equalization basin.
• An extension to the main interceptor for the lower Nickel Creek Basin, to serve the unsewered area, will be designed.
  

Since 1983 the OWRB has approved more than $2.9 billion in loans and grants to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities across Oklahoma.

“We thank the Tulsa legislative delegation for their support of our financial assistance programs,” Strong said.

“Water Appreciation Day presents a unique opportunity for groups to demonstrate the importance of Oklahoma’s water resources as well as provide information on their water management, conservation, and educational programs for state legislators and other government officials,” says J.D. Strong, OWRB Executive Director. “This celebration of Oklahoma’s diverse water resources is especially appropriate now as we wrestle with the impacts of a third straight year of drought and continue to implement the major initiatives of the 2012 Update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan.”

Following five years of formal development, the 2012 OCWP Update was delivered last year to Governor Fallin and members of the State Legislature. The OCWP Executive Report, 13 watershed planning region reports and dozens of supporting documents include the results of numerous technical and policy studies of state water supplies, infrastructure needs, and priority water management issues.

The OWRB, Oklahoma’s water agency since 1957, continues its original charge of identifying water problems and proposing policies for fair and equitable water laws. Additionally, the OWRB has provided over $2.9 billion in loans and grants to assist communities and rural water districts in the construction of water and wastewater facilities, administers 12,688 permits for the beneficial use of stream and groundwater, studies the quality and quantity of surface and groundwaters, ensures the safety of private dams, encourages responsible floodplain management, coordinates four interstate stream compacts, monitors the quantity and quality of Oklahoma’s stream and groundwaters, develops Oklahoma Water Quality Standards to curb water pollution, identifies pollution sources, restores water quality, and oversees statewide water planning.

For more information on Water Appreciation Day, call Josh McClintock at 405-530-8800.

“All too often, property owners and renters become aware of flood insurance and other protection measures only after a flood has financially devastated them or their community,” says J.D. Strong, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB).“ The Governor’s proclamation provides the OWRB, insurance companies, and emergency management organizations with a valuable opportunity to spread the word on the availability of relatively inexpensive flood insurance."

Strong points out that most flood insurance policies require a 30-day waiting period. “With the spring flooding season nearly upon us, now is the time for those citizens who reside in designated floodplains to purchase flood insurance, if they have not already,” he says, adding that a flood insurance policy can be purchased from any licensed property insurance agent.

In an effort to mitigate flooding emergencies, Governor Dewey Bartlett designated the OWRB as the agency to coordinate the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1969. The NFIP assists Oklahoma and its 393 member communities by making flood insurance available at affordable rates and helping communities make wise decisions concerning floodplain use. To be eligible for flood insurance, participants must establish a floodplain board, recognize floodplain boundaries, and restrict development in those areas. Such strategies typically result in reduced federal outlays to mitigate flood damages. The OWRB coordinates the NFIP in Oklahoma in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, Oklahoma Floodplain Managers Association, and Oklahoma Insurance Department.

As an integral part of Oklahoma’s spring flood insurance campaign, the OWRB is sponsoring one-day workshops throughout the state to update city, county, and tribal floodplain administrators on NFIP compliance requirements. The OWRB will also provide assistance in the development, administration, and enforcement of local floodplain management regulations that guide floodplain development. The Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) exam will be offered to pre-approved candidates at the close of each training day. There is no registration fee for the workshops, which feature numerous state, federal, and local floodplain experts and officials.

More than 88 percent of homes and businesses in the state that lie in the 100-year floodplain have no flood insurance, according to Brady. “It is disheartening relatively few people take advantage of the benefits afforded through the purchase of flood insurance, especially since it is inexpensive and offers such comprehensive protection against one of our most common natural disasters," he said.

For more information on Flood Insurance Month, call Gavin Brady at 918-581-2924.

In 2005, Oklahoma City began collaborating with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) on an EPA wetlands grant aimed at establishing native wetland plants along the perimeter and within the waters of Lake Stanley Draper. In assessing the project area, OWRB staff discovered a rapidly expanding phragmites population monopolizing many portions of the shoreline and reaching heights of up to fourteen feet. In the span of a few short years, this prolific reed, left unchecked, would have densely covered the entire shore of Lake Draper down into the first several feet of water. The almost impenetrable stands that develop would have destroyed any native grasses, shrubs, young trees, or aquatic plants, effectively replacing the diverse habitat for fish and wildlife with an almost sterile shoreline. According to Paul Koenig, limnologist for the OWRB, this plant would not only have changed the ecosystem but actually inhibited access to the water by visitors.

Once species identification was confirmed, the original EPA project was expanded to include active eradication. Oklahoma City lake staff applied specialized herbicide treatments made specifically safe for use in and around water sources. By 2010, the Phragmites population had been reduced by 79%. To ensure control of this prolific plant, Oklahoma City continued treatment through 2011. Since then, the population has continued to decline with only a very few unhealthy sprouts remaining.

Phragmites is one of 33 other non-native plant species threatening Oklahoma’s landscapes, lakes, and streams. Invasive species are not limited to plant life; there are many fish and other aquatic organisms that seriously damage the health of ecosystems across our state. Clearly, the first step in preventing the spread of these species is being able to identify them. More information is available at the Department of Wildlife’s website: www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/ans.htm.

A full report on the Lake Stanley Draper Revegetation project can be found at www.owrb.ok.gov/reports.

Bromide’s aged sewage collection lines are in poor condition, consulting engineers Mehlburger Brawley of Oklahoma City reported; when it rains, the collection system experiences “high levels of inflow and infiltration.” Stormwater intrusion into the deficient lines results in impermissible sewage discharges from the town’s wastewater treatment lagoons, the engineers wrote.

In addition, the town’s sewage lift station, which pumps wastewater to the sewage lagoons for treatment, has been malfunctioning because of old pumps and an aged control panel and electrical system.

Consequently, Bromide is under orders from the state Department of Environmental Quality to rehabilitate its sewer system, Mehlburger Brawley related.

Project blueprints indicate the state grant is earmarked for rehabilitation of the lift station, replacement of two manholes, replacement of 400 linear feet of 8-inch-diameter wastewater collection line, and for associated work.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that because of the REAP grant Bromide residents will realize almost $180,000 in principal and interest savings by not having to borrow the funds.

“We are grateful to state Sen. Josh Brecheen and state Rep. Charles McCall for their support of this program,” Strong said.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has extended more than $2.6 billion in grants and loans to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities throughout Oklahoma.

Jerry Floyd, the Chairman of the Authority attended the board meeting in support of the application.

The funds will be used to refinance the portion of the Authority’s 2006 revenue bonds that paid for construction of a new 3.2 million-gallon per day wastewater treatment plant, Strong said.

The loan will be secured with a lien on Chouteau’s water, sewer, sanitation and natural-gas systems, the proceeds of a 1-cent city sales tax, and a mortgage on the city’s water and sewer systems, records reflect.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that by borrowing the money from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Chouteau utility customers will realize an estimated $1,418,196 in interest savings over the 23.5-year life of the loan.

“We are grateful to state Sen. Kim David and state Rep. Ben Sherrer for their support of our financial assistance programs,” Strong said.

Besides the wastewater treatment plant, Chouteau’s sanitary sewer system includes 18 miles of sewage collection mains and three lift stations.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has extended more than $2.9 billion in grants and loans to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities throughout Oklahoma.

Hanna, in southwestern McIntosh County, operates two water wells that provide drinking water to local residents and to the nearby town of Vernon Brown Engineering of Stillwater evaluated the water system in Hanna and found a dozen improvements that need to be made “due to aging” of the equipment. However, since the community cannot afford an expense of that magnitude – more than $400,000 – the consultants suggested applying for the REAP grant to finance several “immediate needs.”

Those include constructing a new clearwell with the capacity to hold at least one day’s average storage, or approximately 30,000 gallons of potable water; moving water chlorination equipment out of the pump station room and into a separate building; replacing the electrical wiring in the pump station so the building will have lights; replacing the overhead door and the windows in the pump station building; and installing a quick pump connection to one of the lift stations.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the REAP grant will save Hanna’s water customers an estimated $180,000 by not having to borrow the funds.

“We are grateful to state Sen. Roger Ballenger and state Rep. Donnie Condit for their support of this program,” Strong said.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has extended more than $2.9 billion in grants and loans to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities throughout Oklahoma.

Indiahoma, in Comanche County, has a 210,000-gallon standpipe that was last painted more than a decade ago and has interior problems that affect the water quality, Lester Seiger of Landmark Engineering reported.

Indiahoma owns a well and blends its groundwater with potable water purchased from the CKT Water District, which buys water from Snyder that is pumped from Tom Steed Lake.

Project blueprints indicate the REAP grant will be used to clean and paint the interior and exterior of Indiahoma’s steel water tank, which is 100 feet tall and 19 feet in diameter, and to replace approximately 150 linear feet of 4-inch-diameter line with 6-inch PVC waterline.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the state grant will save Indiahoma residents an estimated $107,571 in principal and interest, by not having to borrow the funds.

“We are grateful to state Sen. Randy Bass and state Rep. Don Armes for their support of the REAP program,” Strong said.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has extended more than $2.9 billion in grants and loans to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities throughout Oklahoma.

Myers Engineering of Oklahoma City said Wakita’s sanitary sewer collection lines were manufactured of vitrified clay and were constructed approximately 60 years ago. “The system is essentially worn out,” the consultants reported.

During an inspection, “several direct breaks or points of infiltration into the pipelines” were discovered, joints were in “extremely poor condition,” and the slope of the gravity-flow pipe was deteriorated to the point that water ponds in the lines, Myers continued. Also, some manholes need to be replaced and elevated “to prevent inflow from surface water.”

The poor condition of the sewage collection system in the Grant County town limits the community’s “growth potential and expansion,” Myers noted. In addition, the state Department of Environmental Quality has ordered the town to correct the shortcomings and could impose fines for non-compliance, the engineers pointed out.

Most of the primary sewer lines in Wakita have been replaced, but not the 8-inch sewer main “that receives the entire town’s sewage flow” and routes it to the lift station that pumps sewage to the town’s wastewater treatment lagoons. In a related matter, the sewage lift station has a pair of pumps that “are in very bad condition and are worked on and repaired constantly,” Myers informed the Water Resources Board.

Project blueprints indicate the $135,332 in state and local funds will be used to replace the 8-inch sewer main with 1,120 linear feet of 10-inch PVC pipe, replace five sewer manholes, install two new submersible pumps in the lift-station, and perform associated work.

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Wakita residents will realize an estimated $225,250 in principal and interest savings from the REAP grant, by not having to borrow the funds.

“We are grateful to state Sen. A.J. Griffin and state Rep. Dale DeWitt for their support of the REAP program,” Strong said.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has extended more than $2.9 billion in grants and loans to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities throughout Oklahoma.

Yale needs an additional source of water due to the critical condition of its sole source of water, Lone Chimney Lake north of Yale in Pawnee County.

The Lone Chimney Water Association is a water wholesaler to approximately 16,000 north-central Oklahomans in nine communities and five rural water districts. The reservoir is the sole or primary source of water for Yale, Glencoe, Morrison, Skedee, Blackburn, Maramec and Terlton; a supplemental source of water for Pawnee and Cleveland; and provides water to five school districts within that area.

In normal circumstances the lake encompasses about 514 surface acres northeast of Glencoe, but has not been full in two and a half years, since July 2010. Due to the lingering drought, Lone Chimney has shriveled precipitously; the lake was about 12 feet below normal, down to only about 4 feet, on Feb. 8, Yale City Manager Clara Welch reported. “Needless to say, it’s critical.”

The lake was in danger of drying up in 2006, as well, when it shrunk to a little over 10 feet below normal.

As a direct result of the nagging drought, the association received a $3.355 million low-interest loan from the Water Resources Board last September to finance construction of an 11.5-mile, 12-inch diameter pipeline to convey potable water from Stillwater to Lone Chimney.

The Lone Chimney Water Association signed a contract last year to buy at least 2 million gallons of treated water per month from the Stillwater Utilities Authority, which draws its raw water from Kaw Lake in Kay County.

The pipeline to Lone Chimney’s system will tie into a distribution line from Stillwater but is not operational yet; construction started in January and is not expected to be completed until late September.

Because of the dire circumstances, the Lone Chimney Water Association has ordered mandatory water rationing and has imposed stiff surcharges on its customers as leverage to compel conservation.

Literally and figuratively, “We can no longer afford to have just one water supply,” Mrs. Welch asserted. “We need an alternate water source.”

For decades the town was dependent on wells drilled south of town, near the banks of the Cimarron River. After those wells gradually became salty, Yale joined the Lone Chimney consortium and became a co-owner of the lake in 1992 along with Glencoe, Pawnee and several rural water districts.

The original water wells were plugged and a few years ago the City of Yale drilled three new water wells about one-half mile north of the old Norfolk school, on state school land, as a backup supply for use in emergencies. Those wells are shallow and the state Department of Environmental Quality considers them to be “under the influence of surface water,” McCleary wrote. As a result, Mayor Terry Baker said, the Yale Water and Sewage Trust can employ those wells only if it issues a boil order to all users of the water, or if the water is properly treated.

For reasons of cost and water quality, then, Yale city officials decided to construct a treatment plant to filter and disinfect the well water. The facility “will utilize a packaged treatment train consisting of flocculation, settling and mixed-media filter,” and will have a maximum treatment capacity of 100 gallons of water per minute, McCleary wrote in his engineering report. The treatment plant will be built near the west side water tower, Mrs. Welch said.

The wells will continue to be “just a supplement,” the city manager emphasized; Lone Chimney Lake will remain the town’s chief source of water. However, “We’ll use as much water from those wells as we can,” the mayor asserted.

The $99,999 REAP grant from the Water Resources Board will be coupled with a loan commitment from a bank to finance construction of Yale’s water treatment plant, records indicate. Municipal Engineering Group estimated the treatment plant price tag at approximately $660,000.

“We’re probably six months away from finalizing the project,” City Manager Welch said recently. “We still have to advertise for bids on construction and complete all the paperwork.”

Joe Freeman, chief of the Water Board’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that Yale utility customers will realize almost $180,000 in principal and interest savings from the state REAP grant, by not having to borrow that money.

“We are grateful to state Sen. Eddie Fields and state Rep. Lee Denney for their support of the REAP program,” Strong said.

Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has extended more than $2.9 billion in grants and loans to improve and enhance the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of communities throughout Oklahoma.