(The Center Square) – An increase to the maximum loan forgiveness for Oklahoma’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund could enable local water systems to make needed infrastructure improvements that have more longevity, a rural water organization official said.
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) proposed an amendment to the fiscal year 2022 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan to increase the maximum loan forgiveness amount from $250,000 to $1 million.
When applying for infrastructure funding, community water systems often propose economical improvements designed to make water more affordable for their customers. That comes at the cost of a reduction in efficiency and effectiveness, Brand Bowman, Oklahoma Rural Water Association programs director, told The Center Square.
“Also, increasing the maximum loan forgiveness amount would help more financially distressed communities and systems make needed infrastructure improvements that they might not otherwise be able to pursue at all, which would help protect public health and would economically benefit such places,” he said.
Water and wastewater infrastructure are the lifeblood of rural Oklahoma, Bowman said. It protects public health with safe drinking water and the environment with effective wastewater treatment.
“This infrastructure is also an economic engine, creating jobs and driving commerce to benefit our citizens,” Bowman said. “However, much of our rural infrastructure is aging, showing signs of wear and occasionally having trouble meeting the water resource needs of today.”
The American Society of Civil Engineers graded the state’s infrastructure as a C-minus and said the state has $6.9 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs.
“One of the great things about Oklahoma is we're one of the newer states in the country, so we don't have infrastructure that's 150, 200 years old because we didn't exist then,” Shellie Chard, DEQ’s Water Quality Division director, told The Center Square.
In a lesson learned from the experience of older states, Oklahoma made the decision in 1907 not to combine sewer with storm water, keeping them from flowing through the same pipes, she said.
"Now, with that said, we have pipes in the ground, anywhere from 50 to 100 years old in many parts of the state,” she said.
The typical lifespan of pipes is 50 years. Issues arise as they are used beyond their expected lifespan, she said.
Bowman said systems designed with yesterday’s standards have trouble meeting today’s demands. He identified some of the top issues for water and wastewater sustainability in Oklahoma.
“With the legalization of medical cannabis sales and production, we have seen an explosion in the number of grow house operations in the state, which were over 9,300 at last count,” Bowman said.
Water demands at a cannabis grow house can exceed 100,000 gallons per day. The average three-bedroom home uses around 8,000 gallons a month.
It doesn’t happen every time, but he said the association recommends water systems have a hydraulic model completed to know whether the system can provide the service for customers who grow cannabis.
Another potential problem is the cybersecurity threat. He said it is a matter of time before a water system suffers an attack.
The state has 31 projects slated for 2022 in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan grant program, Chard said, which is just under $300 million in projects. The DEQ provides part of that funding. It works with other agencies, such as USDA Rural Development, to help fund those projects.
“For 2023, we're looking at over $400 million in projects, so we have a long list of projects and dollars to be spent,” Chard said. "The agency is focusing on our health-based violations, primarily disinfection byproducts."
via Oklahoma's Center Square News