State Agencies Supporting Water System Partnerships

Department of Environmental Quality

Oklahoma Water Resources Board

State Policies and Programs Regarding Water System Partnerships

REGIONAL PLANNING

In 2012, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board released the most recent Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan, which contains state-wide information on hydrology, water planning and management, water quality, as well as policy recommendations to alleviate deficits. Watershed Planning Region Reports are also included in the Comprehensive Plan, and contain detailed information for each of the 13 identified watershed planning regions in the state. Information and recommendations regarding regionalization of and supply sharing between public water supplies is also included in the Water for 2060 Act, which established a state-wide goal of consuming no more fresh water in 2060 than was consumed in 2010.

DWSRF PRIORITIZATION OF CONSOLIDATION PROJECTS

The DWSRF program offers subsidization through principal forgiveness loans for consolidation or regionalization projects. Projects that will involve the consolidation of two or more water systems receive 20 points to their prioritization score. Projects that connect two or more systems but do not consolidate, including back-up and emergency supply interconnections, will receive 10 points.

IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL CONSOLIDATIONS

The Capacity Development Program identifies new and existing water systems that may benefit from regionalization and consolidation into larger water systems, and helps them through the DWSRF application process. Systems are considered good candidates for regionalization and consolidation if they have source water capacity limitations (drought); are undergoing DEQ enforcement proceedings; are considering giving away, selling, or abandoning the system; or have expressed interest in consolidation. In SFY 2016, 11 water systems consolidated into neighboring water systems.

Helpful Links to State Resources

• Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan page: https://www.owrb.ok.gov/supply/ocwp/ocwp.php
• Operator Certification: https://www.deq.ok.gov/water-quality-division/operator-certification/
• DWSRF: https://www.deq.ok.gov/water-quality-division/public-water-supply/dwsrf/