The Bernice Public Works Authority receives $2,250,000 water system funding from OWRB
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Bernice Public Works Authority (Authority) received approval for $2,250,000 in funding Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s water infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), with $1,000,000 in loan forgiveness, along with $95,000 from a Rural Infrastructure Grant (RIG), and $15,000 in local funds.
The Authority will utilize the proceeds for 31,900 linear feet of 8-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) water line which will run approximately seven miles to the Authority from Ketchum Public Works Authority. Additionally, funding will address the construction of one (1) 150-gallon per minute (gpm) booster pump station with a 40-kilowatt (KW) stand-by generator, and the purchase of one (1) 100-KW stand-by generator for the Authority's existing well. The Authority's interconnection to the Ketchum Public Works Authority will improve water quality for the existing Authority's customers.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $2,810,200 over the life of the 30-year loan compared to traditional financing. The DWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water system, ½ cent sales tax, and use tax and a mortgage. The Authority’s Chairman, Mark Ellison, stated, “This consideration means a great deal as our town grows. Thank you.”
