Tucked into the southeastern corner of Oklahoma, the Town of Red Oak sits at the junction of U.S. Highway 270 and State Highway 82, just 14 miles east of Wilburton and about 50 miles west of Poteau. Though small — with just over 300 water connections — Red Oak is making big moves to secure its future.

With the help of Communities Unlimited (CU), the Red Oak Public Works Authority (PWA) secured a $367,450 Pre-Development Engineering (PDE) loan to cover the upfront costs of two major infrastructure projects aimed at revitalizing the town’s water treatment and distribution systems. The funding comes through CU’s Robert Wood Johnson Foundation PDE fund.

The loan bridges a critical gap for Red Oak, which has been awarded $6 million in USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) grant funding — $2 million for the water treatment plant and $4 million for the distribution system.
The loan bridges a critical gap for Red Oak, which has been awarded $6 million in USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) grant funding — $2 million for the water treatment plant and $4 million for the distribution system.

The CU loan will cover essential predevelopment expenses such as engineering, surveying, environmental documentation, and permitting, allowing both projects to move forward.

“It’s an old system, and over the years, it had just deteriorated,” said Mayor Leslie Robertson. “It was not in good condition at all.”

Red Oak had long struggled to meet demand. “We were really struggling just to meet our basic needs and couldn’t produce enough water to keep up,” she added.

Working alongside CU’s Community Infrastructure and Lending Teams — including Community Environmental Management Advisor Lucas Guinn and Senior Economic Development Loan Officer Chris Ranniger — the town navigated the complex predevelopment process. Guinn coordinated directly with USDA officials, engineers, and town leadership to ensure Red Oak met the required USDA letters of condition and prepared financial documents for the loan.

He also helped the town update critical policies and assisted with rate study preparations.
He also helped the town update critical policies and assisted with rate study preparations.

Mayor Robertson emphasized how essential the PDE loan was to making progress possible.
“It was very much needed. That kind of upfront cost is hard for any rural community to come up with. The CU loan was a major help for our finances.”

While construction has not yet begun, improvements will be extensive once underway. The water treatment project includes replacing the intake structure and pumps, clarifier, steel filter, and chemical injection point; relocating equipment; upgrading the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system; and removing sludge from the ponds.

The distribution system upgrade will install a new standpipe, fire hydrants, gate valves, a chlorine booster station, and new lines throughout town.
The distribution system upgrade will install a new standpipe, fire hydrants, gate valves, a chlorine booster station, and new lines throughout town.

“For one, we’ll have sustainable drinking water,” Mayor Robertson said. “Red Oak is a small but growing community. We have a great school system and are well known for our ballparks. These improvements will help us build an environment people want to live in. With an adequate water supply, we can support new homes, businesses, and even expand our schools if needed.”

"This is what we need to grow.”

Thanks to a strong partnership between Red Oak, USDA, and Communities Unlimited, this rural Oklahoma town is on its way to building a stronger, more sustainable future.

“It’s been a great experience,” said Mayor Robertson. “We’re very thankful for the support and guidance from Communities Unlimited. We’re excited to keep moving forward and can’t wait to get the project underway.”