The Okmulgee County Rural Water District No. 6 (District) received approval for $700,000 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the District’s water infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with $700,000 in Muscogee Nation matching funds and $255,000 from Indian Health Services.

The District owns and operates a water distribution system that has areas of high water loss. These proceeds will be used to replace five miles of 6-inch PVC pipe with new 8-inch PVC pipe.

Joe Freeman, Chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $1,131,100 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 with the financial resources necessary to address water and wastewater infrastructure needs within their systems. Since 1983, the Water Resources Board has approved over $7.3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma. “We are grateful to State Senator Roger Thompson, State Representative Scott Fetgatter and State Representative Chris Banning for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB, said.