Funds Available for Water and Wastewater Infrastructure

For Immediate Release:  January 11, 2022

Contact:  Erin Hatfield, (405) 437.8468

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides money to state, local, and tribal governments negatively impacted by the pandemic. These funds may be used by governments to make investments in water and wastewater system infrastructure. Currently, there is $1.32 billion directly available to Oklahoma counties, cities, and local communities with an additional $1.87 billion available to the state of Oklahoma for investment in projects, including water and wastewater, to benefit all Oklahomans.

The Oklahoma Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding will receive and evaluate proposals through a vetting process, and projects which are recommended by the committee will be sent to Governor for final approval. Depending on the stage of project development, project submittals can be made by either answering a simple, high-level idea questionnaire or by answering a more detailed project questionnaire. In addition to making project submittals to the committee, water and wastewater system owners with infrastructure projects should contact their local county commissioners to recommend their qualifying projects for funding. Funds will be allocated by December 2024 and must be expended by December 2026.

To learn more about Oklahoma’s Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding, please visit: https://oklahoma.gov/arpa.html, or to submit a water or wastewater system project for ARPA funding consideration, please visit: https://okgov.force.com/ARPAIntake/s/?language=en_US.

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