Press Release

Ottawa County Rural Water and Sewer District No. 4 Receives $999,999 Water System Loan with Principal Forgiveness from the OWRB

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Ottawa County Rural Water and Sewer District No. 4 (District) received approval for a $999,999 loan with 100% principal forgiveness on Tuesday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the District’s water infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

The District operates a public water distribution system and is undertaking improvements to modernize its metering infrastructure and enhance system efficiency. The project will replace approximately 950 existing water meters with Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technology, which allows water usage data to be collected electronically without manual meter readings. The new meters will improve billing accuracy, help identify leaks and other sources of water loss more quickly, and reduce operational costs. By providing operators with better system data and freeing up staff time for maintenance and repairs, the project will strengthen long-term water security and improve service reliability for residents and businesses throughout the District.

Lori Johnson, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $1,581,300 when compared to traditional financing.