Release
OKLAHOMA CITY –The Bryan County No. 2 Rural Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste Management District (District) received approval for $4,791,667 in funding Thursday 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 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with $4,600,000 in Choctaw Tribal matching funds, and local funds of $500,000. 
The District owns and operates a water system where there is a significant need to increase water supply to meet the current demand. The District will utilize the proceeds to drill a new water well, construct 23,000 feet of 12-inch water main, a 500,000–gallon water tower, a new SpiraCone upflow clarifier unit, and new building to house additional filtration units.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the District’s customers will save an estimated $7,857,700 compared to traditional financing.
The ARPA grant program is administered by the OWRB with funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and appropriated through for the Water and Wastewater American Rescue Plan Act grants program. This OWRB program has been structured to provide communities and other eligible entities financial resources necessary to address water and wastewater infrastructure needs within their systems. Since 1983 the Water Resources Board has approved over $7.0 billion in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements throughout Oklahoma.
“We are grateful to State Senator David Bullard and State Representative Cody Maynard for their continued support of our financial assistance programs,” said Julie Cunningham, Executive Director of the OWRB.
