Oklahoma Legislature allocates more than $440 million to water infrastructure projects, with clear focus on economic development

Most of that water cash has been put aside for the Oklahoma Water Assets Board to distribute later. Based on a press launch from the state legislature, the OWRB will get $100 million to help the wants of smaller water techniques and to revive high-needs dams. Tribal governments plan to match one other $57 million and use these funds for water tasks on tribal lands. And the state has set one other $130.5 million for future water tasks.

However the legislature additionally permitted funding for seven particular water infrastructure tasks. One of many American Rescue Plan Act’s acknowledged objectives is to reinvigorate the American financial system, and that theme is obvious among the many chosen water tasks.

Practically all the water tasks are to help industrial ventures that promise earnings Oklahomans may not see for many years. They embody a brand new port and industrial park east of Tulsa, a reinvigoration to Oklahoma’s solely spaceport in Burns Flat and help for tourism at Lake Murray. All these financial improvement tasks require enhancements to growing old water and sewer infrastructure.

You possibly can learn extra about every of those tasks beneath.

An underutilized spaceport at Burns Flat

Burns Flat in western Oklahoma is residence to one among solely 14 FAA-licensed spaceports in the US. Based on the Oklahoma Air and Area Port’s web site, it’s the one one whose spaceflight hall isn’t in restricted airspace or a navy zone.

Nonetheless, aerospace corporations who’ve thought-about partnering with the spaceport have raised questions about its capability to serve their wants for water and web.

Whereas discussing this challenge on the Senate flooring, Sen. Lonnie Paxton of Tuttle stated that the spaceport’s future is determined by updates to its growing old wastewater system.

“This space must be improved or mainly deserted,” Paxton stated. “We’ve determined that is an space that may be improved.”

The Oklahoma Area Trade Growth Authority requested $30 million in ARPA funds for enhancements to the water and web infrastructure for Burns Flat and its spaceport. The legislature voted to approve $4.25 million.

A deliberate cargo port in Inola

The Port of Catoosa sees 13,000 tons of cargo every month and is residence to over 70 corporations. Now, the Tulsa Port Authority needs to develop a second port and industrial park in Inola.

The proposed Port of Inola is 2,200 acres alongside the Verdigris River about 25 miles east of downtown Tulsa. However regardless of its handy location for each barges and trains, the city of Inola isn’t fairly able to help a significant industrial park.

In its software for ARPA funds, the Rogers County Port Authority stated that Inola’s wastewater therapy capability is the one factor holding it again from being “ultra-competitive for large-scale industrial tasks. On the time the applying was written, Inola was working to repair issues with their wastewater traces that had put them out of compliance with the Oklahoma Division of Environmental High quality.

The Port Authority requested almost $36 million to enhance water infrastructure for each the city of Inola and its potential port. The legislature permitted $14 million in ARPA funds for the challenge.

A future industrial and industrial space exterior of Tulsa

Growing the Port of Inola is one a part of a plan to determine an economy-boosting industrial hall in northeastern Oklahoma. One other cease alongside that hall is Truthful Oaks Ranch: about 5,000 acres of land the Metropolis of Tulsa hopes to fill with houses, retailers and industrial amenities.

The town and the Tulsa Authority for Financial Alternative requested simply over $57 million to fund upgrades for the water infrastructure that serves that space in anticipation of future progress.

The legislature voted to approve $50 million for this challenge. That’s one of many largest chunks of ARPA funds Oklahoma devoted to a single challenge reasonably than a multi-project grant program or statewide investments.

A rising biomedical park in Oklahoma Metropolis

Oklahoma Metropolis has been working to develop its Innovation District — an space east of downtown that stretches from Car Alley to the College of Oklahoma’s analysis campus.

The water infrastructure that serves this space and its surrounding neighborhoods is growing old and has restricted capability, in keeping with the town’s ARPA software. The legislature voted to approve $8 million of the town’s $50 million request to improve that infrastructure.

An anticipated enlargement of Tinker Air Drive Base

Oklahoma Metropolis additionally utilized for funds to maneuver a pipe that carries water from Lake Thunderbird to Del Metropolis. The pipe lies beneath land that might be a part of an eastward enlargement to Tinker Air Drive Base.

The legislature permitted the town’s full request for $35 million to relocate the pipe. Based on reporting by The Oklahoman, the enlargement of Tinker AFB is meant to extend the bottom’s mission capability and convey extra jobs to the world.

A industrial airpark in Ardmore

As Oklahoma’s oldest and largest state park, Lake Murray attracts guests and companies to Ardmore. However in keeping with two ARPA functions from the Southern Oklahoma Water Company, the world’s water infrastructure is unable to maintain up with present demand. The SOWC stated that’s standing in the best way of progress and improvement within the space.

One software requested funds to switch three outdated and undersized water mains with new pipe. The opposite sought help for a brand new water therapy plant on Lake Murray State Park land.

The Ardmore Growth Authority additionally submitted two functions for ARPA funds to enhance infrastructure on the Ardmore Industrial Airpark. Neither software particularly mentions water infrastructure, however they describe the Ardmore Industrial Airpark’s potential as a cargo hub.

The legislature permitted $17.1 million for water tasks in Ardmore. A legislative press launch indicated that these funds had been for water infrastructure to serve the town and the Ardmore Industrial Airpark, however the invoice’s language doesn’t make it clear which software obtained these funds.

A leaky water system at Lake Lugert-Altus

Solely one of many chosen water tasks doesn’t appear to be tied to projected financial progress. It’s an effort to forestall water loss from Lake Altus-Lugert.

The system that delivers water from Lake Lugert-Altus to close by therapy crops loses over a 3rd of the water to leaks. The lake can’t spare all that misplaced water—it at present sits about 24 toes decrease than regular.

The legislature permitted the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District’s request for $25 million to repair these leaks.