Press Release

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Stillwater Utilities Authority (Authority) received approval for a $112,905,000 Financial Assistance Program (FAP) loan on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve their  water and wastewater infrastructure. 

The Authority, located in Payne County, operates the city’s public water and wastewater systems, which serve more than 18,000 water and 15,000 sewer connections. Many components of these systems—such as water lines, storage tanks, treatment units, and lift stations—have reached the end of their useful life and require significant rehabilitation to ensure continued reliability and compliance with current standards. The proposed improvements include cleaning, coating, and upgrading five drinking water storage tanks; modernizing treatment units with new electrical and control systems; and replacing the aging Quail Ridge and Woodland Trails wastewater lift stations.  

Additional work includes upgrades to the Lake McMurtry intake tower, construction of a new 36-inch transmission line to improve raw water supply from Lake McMurtry to the Stillwater Water Treatment Plant, improvements to the pump station southeast of Lake McMurtry, installation of a new four-million-gallon ground storage tank, and multiple water line replacements and rehabilitations across the community. These include replacing the existing 12-inch water line along Airport Road from North Washington Street to Airport Industrial Road; replacing the existing 6-inch water line from Airport Road northeast along Wright Drive, east to Land Run Drive, and south along Land Run Drive to Airport Road; replacing the existing 12-inch water line along the east side of Sangre Road from the connection to the 18-inch water line to the existing 12-inch gate valve; replacing the existing 16-inch water line along the east side of Sangre Road from 32nd Avenue south to the end of the line; constructing a new 24-inch water transmission main from the Stillwater Water Treatment Plant to the Perkins Tower; and performing rehabilitation on portions of the existing 24-inch water transmission main along Seadog Street and Burris Road where previous leaks have occurred. Collectively, these projects will strengthen Stillwater’s water infrastructure, enhance system reliability, and ensure safe, dependable service for residents and businesses well into the future. 

The estimated cost for the proposed projects is $104,239,000.00, which will be funded by the FAP loan not to exceed $112,905,000.00. 

According to Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $6,657,300 compared to traditional financing. The loan shall be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s  water, sewer,  and electric services and a one cent sales tax.