State funding offers help, but small communities still face the challenge of making essential water projects affordable.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Many Oklahoma communities charge too little for water and sewer service, leaving funding gaps that contribute to deteriorating infrastructure, according to the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan.
Osage County Rural Water District 21 shows how large those costs can become. Serving about 450 customers, the district has experienced prolonged water-quality problems and extended boil orders. District engineer Matthew Coe described a plan involving the Osage Nation and the city of Pawhuska that could cost more than $20 million, according to a Senate summary of his testimony…