Press Release
November 17, 2015
Tuttle Public Works Authority Receives $329,500 Water System Loan from OWRB
The Tuttle Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for a $329,500 loan Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s water system. Installation of upgrades and improvements to the Authority's system will be financed by the Oklahoma Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan program.
The Authority will utilize the loan proceeds to purchase and install approximately 1,000 water meters which have Automated Meter Reading (AMR) capabilities to replace current meters. The project helps improve water conservation and efficiency by reducing water loss in the Authority's system. AMR’s provide leak detection alerts, thereby reducing unintended flows to the wastewater system. Additionally, installation of AMR’s could lead to increased water supply reliability because the Authority has a better understanding of any potential system vulnerabilities. The project will help meet the statewide Water for 2060 goals.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority's customers will save an estimated $165,000, over the life of the 15-year loan, compared to traditional financing. The CWSRF loan shall be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water, sewer, gas, and sanitation systems. Local officials attending the OWRB’s monthly meeting in support of the loan application were Tim Young, City Manager and Aaron Flattery Public Works Director.
The CWSRF program is administered by the OWRB with partial funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CWSRF program has approved approximately $1.3 billion in 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 $3.3 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
J.D. Strong, executive director of the OWRB, expressed his sincere appreciation to Senator Ron Justice and Representative Scott R. Biggs for their support of the CWSRF program.
