Shawnee, Oklahoma, October 10, 2022 – The City of Shawnee was awarded $9.9 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, as approved during a special session of the Oklahoma Legislature, and subsequently signed into law by the Oklahoma Governor.

Through the State of Oklahoma’s ARPA Portal, 1,400 portal submissions had been received, totaling $18 billion in requests for the state’s more than $1.8 billion in ARPA funding. In late September 2022, the bicameral, bipartisan committee approved more than $1.1 billion in projects, designed to address critical needs facing the State. The City of Shawnee’s funding award was among other statewide water projects, all of which will provide a combined $130.5 million in targeted water infrastructure investments.

The City of Shawnee project funded through this award will address acute water and sewer infrastructure needs for the community. Critical locations within the City’s water distribution and wastewater collection systems were identified during the 2021 severe cold weather event. The winter storms exposed the weakest points of the systems, and although emergency repairs were made at that time, certain affected sections of the water and sewer distribution systems require complete replacement. The City of Shawnee ARPA project will replace an estimated 7,500 linear feet of sewer lines and 25,000 linear feet of water lines, directly benefiting more than 740 service connections as well as improving overall systems reliability. Among the beneficiaries are the regional hospital (SSM Health Complex), the Pottawatomie County Jail, multiple dialysis centers, and assisted living homes. The water line replacements will also benefit customers in Meeker, OK, and customers of the Pottawatomie County Development Authority (rural water provider).

This City of Shawnee project will particularly help vulnerable populations at increased risk for severe illness, including the elderly, people with medical conditions, pregnant and recently pregnant women, and lower income households. The City has just started the necessary design work, and project construction will begin in Spring 2023.

Shawnee, OK ARPA Funding Application Overview

For additional information about the ARPA award and water or sewer projects, please contact the City of Shawnee’s Assistant City Manager at 405-878-1607 or Jacob.Foos@ShawneeOK.org.