By Lindsey Temple

News Star Reporter

After a very long process, Elmore City secured their last permit from the Department of Environmental Equality to proceed with the water treatment plant project.

“This has been a long and drawn out process and we are very happy to see some progress being made,” said Lisa Rollings, City Clerk.

A water treatment plant for the city is part of a long term goal of producing their own water, which will lead to the possibility of grants, new water and sewer lines in the next couple of years and repair to city streets.

Up until this point, the EC area has been purchasing their water from an area Rural Water District, who in turn purchases over a million gallons of water per month from the city of Pauls Valley, costing Elmore City anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 per month.

Water treatment was part of the city’s Capital Improvement Plan and has been made possible by a Community Development Block Grant, which comes from the Department of Commerce and a Rural Economic Action Plan, which comes from our Southern Oklahoma Development Association in Durant.

The project required one CDBG/REAP, and three REAP grants before reaching this phase. SODA applied and administers the CDBG/REAP and Rollings applied and administer the three REAP grants.

“It has been a long process and I’m glad that we are finally seeing a drop of water at the end of the intake pipe,” laughed Rollings.

EC updates their CIP every five years and are already in year number two of our current five year plan.

Residents are urged to make suggestions for the next five year plan by contacting any member of the Elmore City Planning Committee: Kim Chandler, Quentin Casey, Tom Luster, John Ferris or Chip Howard.

“Elmore City officials greatly appreciate the input from these local business owners and individuals who take the time to look ahead and see where our city is headed and what we might need down the road, literally, we need roads,” explained Rollings.