Atoka is a small community in southeastern Oklahoma with about 3,000 residents. It provides water and wastewater services to 1,280 connections and also supplies water and manages sewer services for the nearby town of Tushka.
Atoka is undergoing a major infrastructure overhaul to improve its water and wastewater systems. The city recently secured a combined $8 million in USDA Native-American Set-Aside (NASA) grants for Phase I of both water and wastewater system upgrades.
The Environmental Services Team at Communities Unlimited (CU) and Oklahoma State Coordinator Gaylene Riley helped Atoka apply for these grants. The funds will be used for Phase I water and wastewater plant improvements. The planned Phase II water project, pending an engineering report, will address water storage needs, update the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and electrical systems at the plant, and replace various pipes and valves. The Phase II wastewater project will focus on additional plant improvements, while Phase III will replace the collection system lines and manholes.
The water system grant was awarded on April 1, 2024, and the wastewater system received a letter of conditions on May 30. The USDA will officially celebrate the $4 million wastewater grant on July 31.
“I’m ecstatic about these grants,” Atoka City Manager Danny Delay said. “This funding will allow us to do what’s important and that is to improve our outdated infrastructure. The more grant money we can obtain to reach our goals, the fewer loans and tax dollars we’ll have to rely on.”
In addition to water and wastewater improvements, CU helped Atoka apply for a grant to build public restrooms downtown, supporting the city’s revitalization. They also assisted with a grant application for police vehicles.
Riley has a deep connection with Atoka, dating back to her time with the USDA. She grew up in nearby Bentley, where Delay’s grandmother lived, and was her grandmother’s best friend. Danny grew up in Atoka, and his mother also grew up in Bentley. This shared history has helped Riley collaborate effectively on funding applications with Atoka.
“Gaylene with Communities Unlimited has provided the City of Atoka with a great amount of information, insight, advice, guidance, and overall assistance with everything we have asked her for help on,” Delay said.
“Her vast knowledge and experience, especially with water and wastewater and asset management, has been a game changer for us. She has helped us with several of our grants, which expedites the whole process due to her expertise. She and everyone else with Communities Unlimited have been phenomenal with their caring attitudes and genuine commitment to helping us attain positive outcomes in whatever we are striving to achieve.”
— Danny Delay, City Manager Atoka, OK
Atoka has revitalized its downtown, making it a vibrant hub. The city secured grants for water and wastewater improvements. These upgrades have improved the downtown area’s appearance, boosted local businesses, and created a welcoming environment for residents and visitors, showing the city’s commitment to sustainable development and growth.
“I’m so very pleased that the work of CU staff has resulted in the City of Atoka successfully securing $8 million in grant funding to meet their infrastructure needs,” Riley said. “The city’s staff are great to work with and were able to provide all the information needed for the two grant applications quickly and accurately, which helped tremendously in completing RD Apply requirements.
“The project engineer is preparing needed documents for applications for Phase II of each system’s planned improvements, and I look forward to working with the city’s staff again soon. These infrastructure improvements go together with the work the city is doing with the revitalization of the downtown area and will improve service for all residents of the city.”
