Piedmont, one of Oklahoma’s fastest-growing suburbs just north of Oklahoma City, has won a $2-million grant from the state’s Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity (PREP) fund to begin bringing its water network up to speed with rising population demands. The grant comes alongside a nearly $900,000 low-interest loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
What’s being done
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The project will install almost 2 miles of new 16-inch waterline to improve capacity and reduce service interruptions.
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Immediate needs include building a booster station, a secondary interconnection with Oklahoma City’s system, and a new water tower.
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These improvements are designed to address frequent service gaps—some customers reportedly go without running water once or twice a month due to limited system volume.
Why this matters to utility professionals
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Growth pressure on infrastructure: Piedmont’s case illustrates how rapidly increasing population demands can outstrip aging backbone systems. Utilities in growth corridors need to assess not just where demand is today, but where it will be in 5-10 years.
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Funding mix and timing: The combination of grant + low-interest loan allows Piedmont to spread cost burden and reduce immediate rate impacts for customers—a useful model for small to mid-sized utilities.
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Right sizing vs. overbuilding: Instead of over‐provisioning, Piedmont is “right-sizing” — matching line diameter, pumping capacity, and storage to actual demand, while also planning for future demand. That strategy helps control O&M costs and reduces wasted capacity.
What to watch
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How Piedmont will manage rate structure changes over time to afford ongoing maintenance and new asset operations.
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Whether connections to OKC’s system (secondary intertie) allow load sharing during peak demand or emergencies—i.e. how redundancy is baked in.
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Monitoring whether the booster station and water tower upgrades maintain pressure and supply throughout peak growth seasons.
