City Of Tulsa-Rogers County Authority Receives $14,000,000 Grant For Wastewater Improvements

The City of Tulsa-Rogers County Authority (Authority) received approval for $14,000,000 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Inola Public Works Authority’s (PWA) wastewater infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the wastewater system will be financed by the Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program, along with OWRB ARPA Tribal grant funds of $250,000, Tribal matching funds of $250,000, Indian Health Services funds of $339,000, Rogers County ARPA funds of $750,000, and local funds of $1,671,000.     

The Inola PWA owns and operates a wastewater treatment system (WWTS) consisting of collection lines, appurtenances, and an aerated lagoon wastewater treatment facility. The PWA is redefining the parameters of the WWTS from a lagoon system to a WWTS sized to accommodate all wastewater from the Town of Inola as well as from the Port Industrial Park operated by the Port Authority. These proceeds will be used to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to include the existing lift station, construction of a larger force main discharge, manhole rehabilitation to reduce inflow and infiltration, and the rehabilitation of the Green Valley Lift Station and force main located in the southwest portion of town. In addition, the engineering and design cost of a new 3.1 MGD WWTP to be located near the Tulsa Port is included.   

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Port’s customers will save an estimated $21,194,300 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 Senate Bill 13 for 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 $6.4B in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.   

 “We are grateful to State Legislators in the Port and Tulsa metro areas for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.