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OKLAHOMA CITY – The Tonkawa Municipal Authority (Authority) in Kay County received approval for a $300,000 Emergency Grant on Tuesday through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to repair the Authority’s water infrastructure.

The Authority operates a water system serving the City of Tonkawa. Following the flooding in June 2026, the Authority is undertaking corrective measures to address contaminants and restore affected infrastructure. The system sustained significant damage to eight well houses, including Well No. 9, the primary water supply for the City, which was taken offline due to the damage from the floods. The proposed project will clean and sanitize the affected well houses, repair flood-related structural damage, and repair or replace cracked and damaged well casings and concrete, along with associated appurtenances. These improvements will help restore well operations and support a reliable supply of safe drinking water for the community.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the grant will save the Authority’s customers $520,400 in principal and interest charges by not having to borrow the project funds.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Blair Public Works Authority (Authority) in Jackson County received approval for a $300,000 Emergency Grant on Tuesday through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to repair the Authority’s water infrastructure.

The Authority operates a water system serving the community of Blair. The ongoing drought conditions have resulted in a complete loss of water from one of the Authority’s wells, affecting the reliability of the community’s water supply. The proposed project will construct a new municipal water supply well along with all appurtenances required to complete the project. This will restore water supply capacity and support a reliable and sustainable source of drinking water for the community.

The estimated cost of the project is $300,000, which will be funded by the OWRB Emergency Grant in the amount of $300,000.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the grant will save the Authority’s customers $520,400 in principal and interest charges by not having to borrow the project funds.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Claremore Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for a $29,600,000 Financial Assistance Program (FAP) loan on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve their water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.

The Authority operates systems serving the Claremore community and they are investing in a comprehensive infrastructure modernization initiative to upgrade the city’s water, wastewater and stormwater systems.

Upgrades to the water distribution system will include designing the replacement or relocation of the 90-year-old raw water intake at Claremore Lake, along with systematically replacing aging cast iron water mains across the 130-mile distribution network.

To expand the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant, the project will also support the construction of a new influent pump station and headworks facility, as well as the ongoing rehabilitation of aging vitrified clay pipes and manholes to mitigate inflow and infiltration issues across the 115-mile collection system.

To address critical drainage deficiencies throughout the City of Claremore, the Authority will re-grade open channels, rehabilitate historic sandstone stormwater tunnels in downtown dating to the 1930s, and replace approximately 3,000 linear feet of damaged corrugated metal storm drains throughout the City.

According to Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $5,621,700 over the life of the 30-year loan compared to traditional financing. The loan shall be secured with a lien on the Authority’s water, sewer, and electric revenues.