MUSKOGEE, Okla. — An infrastructure project has started in Muskogee as city leaders move forward with a new wastewater treatment facility priced at $97 million.
City leaders say the new facility was necessary after years of damage and aging equipment.
For residents like Breanna Wike, the need for improvements brings back memories of the devastating 2019 flood.
“It was very worrisome… There were just so many trees and trash and debris,” Wike said.
City officials said that the flood, along with a severe winter freeze, caused significant damage to the city’s current wastewater system, which relies on an outdated trickling filter plant. According to Assistant Public Works Director Avery Rigney, the system has required repeated repairs over the years.
“This will be the biggest project the city has ever worked on,” Rigney said.
Following those events, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality told city leaders a new facility would be needed to meet modern industry standards.
The project’s cost has also grown. It was initially reported as an $80 million project by 2 News Oklahoma anchor Naomi Keitt, but city leaders said bids came in higher than expected, bringing the total to $97 million.
That increase is now being passed on to residents through higher utility bills, something Wike said she understood but still felt the impact.
“They’ve got to find it somewhere… Us, our taxes. But if they don’t do it, it’s just going to add up to more later,” Wike said.
City leaders told 2 News the new wastewater treatment facility was expected to be completed by April 2029.
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