Press Release

Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust Receives $21,930,141 Wastewater System Loan from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust (Trust) received approval for a $21,930,141 loan on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Trust’s wastewater infrastructure.  Construction of upgrades and improvements to the wastewater system will be financed by the Oklahoma Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).

The Authority operates two water treatment plants, multiple storage tanks, a broad water distribution network, and four wastewater treatment plants with an extensive sewer collection system. To strengthen reliability and protect local water quality, the Authority is advancing a series of infrastructure upgrades across its service area. These improvements include replacing an aging chlorine disinfection process at the North
Canadian wastewater treatment plant with a safer, modern sodium hypochlorite system, and rehabilitating several miles of deteriorated sewer mains and manholes in neighborhoods such as Heritage Hills, the Paseo area, and the Bishop McGuinness School campus. Additional projects along key corridors, including sections of Interstate 44, will realign or replace sewer lines to reduce the risk of failures and address odor and maintenance challenges caused by aging infrastructure. Collectively, these upgrades will enhance system performance, reduce service disruptions, and support long-term wastewater reliability for the community.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Trust’s customers will save an estimated $16,524,500 when compared to traditional financing. The CWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of their water, sewer, and sanitation services.