Press Release

The Duncan Public Utilities Authority Receives $13,520,000 Loan for Water and Wastewater System Improvements from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Duncan Public Utilities Authority (Authority) received approval for a $13,520,000 Financial Assistance Program (FAP) loan on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve their water and wastewater infrastructure.

The Authority operates both a wastewater treatment system and a public water treatment and distribution system serving more than 9,000 connections in Stephens County. Many components across these facilities are aging, some more than 35 years old, and no longer operate efficiently, creating the need for significant rehabilitation to ensure reliable service and maintain compliance with water quality standards. The proposed project includes major upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant, such as rehabilitating lift stations, improving the headworks and treatment processes, and modernizing the system’s monitoring and control technology (SCADA). Improvements at the water treatment plant include repairing the clarifier, replacing outdated equipment and filter media, and making additional upgrades needed to restore compliance. The project also proposes replacing waterlines in key areas and rehabilitating several water towers, building on ongoing improvement efforts supported through the Authority’s existing loans.

According to Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, the Authority’s  customers will save an estimated $4,006,300 compared to traditional financing. The loan shall be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water, sewer, sanitation, and electric services, a 1 cent sales tax and will not include a mortgage on the water, sewer, and electric systems. The lien will be in parity with all other OWRB loans.