Glenpool gets $44M in ARPA funds to build new wastewater treatment plant

GLENPOOL, Okla. — Glenpool is getting $44 million in American Recovery money to replace its wastewater treatment plant.

Residents have been complaining about a foul odor coming from Glenpool’s sewage plant and lagoon.

The engineering design phase of the project that will bring a new wastewater treatment plant to Glenpool is already in the works.

According to the city, construction on the facility will begin late this year or in early 2024.

This project was chosen out of 1,440 applications. The funding will come out of the $1.87 billion that Congress marked for infrastructure projects.

It’s the only wastewater project in the state to be chosen and will replace the outdated lagoon — where treated wastewater is disposed of — with a mechanical wastewater system.

City leaders expect it to take 18 months to complete.

David Tillotson is the Glenpool city manager.

“What that really means for us is we won’t have to go into, or we don’t anticipate having to go into any additional debt to build this plant,” he says, “This is a $44 million plant. With inflation that could change a little bit. As we finish the final design, that could change a little bit, but we believe this will get us 90% of the way there.”

Tillotson says that will then allow the city to invest in quality-of-life projects as the city grows.

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