Press Release

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Miami Special Utility Authority (Authority) received approval for $3,400,000 in funding on 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 OWRB American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with $1,700,000.00 from the MODOC Nation, $1,700,000.00 from the Ottawa Nation, and $3,058,235.00 from local funds.

The Authority operates a water system that is in need of modernization to improve water usage tracking. The proposed project will replace outdated water meters with automated meters, along with the necessary software and infrastructure to enhance efficiency and accuracy in measuring water consumption. These upgrades will provide more reliable data and improve service for the community. The estimated cost of the project is $9,858,235.00 which will be funded by the OWRB Tribal Matching Grant of $3,400,000.00, $1,700,000.00 from the MODOC Nation, $1,700,000.00 from the Ottawa Nation, and $3,058,235.00 from local funds.

 Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $5,559,200.00 compared to traditional financing.