What Oklahoma Water Resources Board does

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) is a state government agency of the State of Oklahoma, headquartered in Oklahoma City and founded in 1957, that serves as the sole statutory authority for water resource management across all 77 Oklahoma counties. The agency administers a unified platform of regulatory and financing functions organized into seven program areas: Water Permitting, Financing (Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, Rural Economic Action Plan grants, American Rescue Plan Act grants, Financial Assistance Program loans, Emergency Grants), Wells & Licensing, Floodplain Management, Dam Safety, Data & Maps, and Water Planning. It reaches customers through centralized headquarters services, online self-service portals, a regional workshop program, and a Funding Agency Coordinating Team that collaborates with EPA, FEMA, USACE, ODEQ, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, and other state and federal partners.

The agency's core technology stack is GIS-based, built on the ArcGIS platform with interactive dashboards for water infrastructure ($24B in identified need), legislative tracking, flood preparedness, and pending permits, supplemented by online permitting, water use reporting, and electronic well log filing portals. A searchable Water Well Record Search database and Water Level Mass Measurement Program provide long-running statewide monitoring data. The technology ecosystem integrates GovDelivery for email newsletters, Eventbrite for event registration, Microsoft Forms for inquiries, and an external OTC CDC Pay Portal for fee payments.

OWRB does not operate on a commercial revenue model; it is funded through state legislative appropriations and federal pass-through capitalization grants. Its financing programs provide subsidized low-interest loans with principal forgiveness components and competitive grants to municipalities, public works authorities, and rural water districts. Permit and license fees (water permits, well driller and pump installer licenses, water use reports) constitute transactional revenue, while regulatory and technical assistance is delivered at no cost. The agency reports to the Governor of Oklahoma and operates under a board governance structure, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investors.

Name

Oklahoma Water Resources Board

Legal name

Oklahoma Water Resources Board

Website

https://owrb.ok.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board is a state government agency administering Oklahoma's water resource management, including water permitting, well driller licensing, dam safety oversight, floodplain management, and water infrastructure financing through federal-state revolving funds and grants for all 77 counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resources Management

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Drinking Water Quality & Safe Water Regulatory Authorities (HLAJAFAD), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Water resources management
• Water infrastructure financing
• Dam safety oversight
• Floodplain management
• Water permitting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Infrastructure Loans: OWRB provides low-interest loans through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. These are federal-state partnership programs where the agency acts as the administrator and lender.
2. Grant Programs: The agency distributes Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants to eligible communities for water infrastructure improvements. Grant programs are competitive with application deadlines.
3. Permit and License Fees: Fees collected for water permits, well driller licenses, pump installer licenses, and related regulatory services. Water use reports are filed with associated fees.
4. Emergency Grants: Special grant funding for emergency water situations and urgent infrastructure needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OWRB administers regulatory and financing programs for Oklahoma's water resources, including water rights permitting, well driller and pump installer licensing, dam safety oversight, floodplain management, and statewide water planning. It delivers low-interest loans and grants through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP), and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) programs to municipalities, public works authorities, and rural water districts. The agency also maintains GIS-based mapping, water monitoring data, and the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan as public infrastructure assets.

Product overview

Oklahoma Water Resources Board operates as a state government regulatory agency offering a unified suite of water resource management services organized around permitting, financing, data management, and planning. The core portfolio includes a Water Permitting System for water rights administration, Well Driller & Pump Installer Licensing with online filing capabilities, Dam Safety and Floodplain Management programs for risk mitigation, and the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan for statewide planning. Financing programs (Clean Water SRF, Drinking Water SRF, REAP Grants, ARPA Grants) provide funding mechanisms for water infrastructure. Data & Maps offerings include GIS mapping, bathymetric surveys, WATER monitoring data, and the Water Well Record Search database. The suite functions as an integrated platform connecting regulatory compliance, financial assistance, and public data access across Oklahoma's water resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Permitting System Comprehensive water rights permitting system enabling applications for water permits, provisional temporary permits, water use reporting, and pit water monitoring. Supports online filing and citizen complaints for Oklahoma water users and regulated entities.
• Well Driller and Pump Installer Licensing System Licensing platform for well drillers and pump installers featuring online well log filing, continuing education tracking, and a searchable licensee directory for Oklahoma-licensed water well professionals.
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loans (CWSRF) Low-interest loan program for clean water infrastructure projects with principal forgiveness components and annually updated project priority lists, available to Oklahoma municipalities and public works authorities.
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loans (DWSRF) Financing program for drinking water infrastructure improvements with favorable loan terms available to municipal water systems and rural water districts in Oklahoma.
• Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) Grants Grant program providing financial assistance at no cost to rural Oklahoma communities for water and wastewater infrastructure projects, with competitive application cycles and supporting application workshops.
• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grants ARPA-funded grant program leveraging state interest earnings to support water infrastructure projects in eligible Oklahoma communities.
• Financial Assistance Program Loans State-funded loan program complementing CWSRF and DWSRF for Oklahoma water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
• Emergency Grants

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided $999,999 to $5,298,761 water system loans with principal forgiveness to municipalities

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWRB collaborates with USACE on levee safety training, hosting annual training sessions such as the Levee Safety Training held April 16. The partnership supports flood risk management and infrastructure safety across Oklahoma.
• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWRB administers EPA-funded Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs. These are federal-state partnerships where EPA provides capitalization grants and OWRB serves as the state administrator.
• Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinate on water quality standards, permitting, and infrastructure funding. Both agencies are involved in the Funding Agency Coordinating Team for Oklahoma water infrastructure.
• Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on water resource management, conservation programs, and watershed protection initiatives across Oklahoma.
• Oklahoma Water CongressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional association supporting the water resources community in Oklahoma; OWRB participates in conferences and events.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on floodplain management, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) compliance, and flood risk assessment. OWRB provides floodplain administrator training supporting FEMA programs.
• Oklahoma Municipal LeagueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorks with municipalities on water infrastructure financing and training programs; municipalities are primary customers for OWRB financing programs.
• Oklahoma Association of Regional CouncilsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting regional water planning and 'Momentum SW OK: Powered by Regional Partnerships' events and initiatives.
• Well Driller & Pump Installer Advisory CouncilminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvisory council providing guidance on well driller and pump installer licensing standards, continuing education requirements, and industry best practices.
• Cooperative Technical PartnershipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWRB Data & Maps program includes cooperative technical partnerships for hydrologic investigations, bathymetric mapping, and GIS data development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Water Development Board: Texas state agency administering water financing programs (State Revolving Funds, Water Infrastructure Fund) and conducting statewide water planning. Most direct functional peer to OWRB given matching role in state-level water financing, planning, and data dissemination, scaled to a much larger geography.
• California State Water Resources Control Board: California's state water quality and rights regulator administering water rights permitting, SRF programs, and floodplain management. Closely comparable regulatory-and-financing dual mandate to OWRB, though operating at vastly larger scale and complexity.
• Colorado Water Conservation Board: Colorado state policy-making body for water resources administering the Water Plan, floodplain management, and loan/grant programs. Functionally analogous to OWRB as a state water financing and planning entity with regulatory authorities.
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources Water Supply Operations: Iowa's state water programs covering water allocation permitting, water supply infrastructure funding, and floodplain coordination. Comparable in scope and mission to OWRB with similar rural-urban water management challenges.
• Kansas Water Office: Kansas state agency responsible for water resource policy, planning, and funding programs. Comparable to OWRB as a Plains-state water authority with similar functions in water planning, conservation, and inter-agency coordination, though smaller in scope.

Regional players

• Oklahoma Rural Water Association: Oklahoma nonprofit supporting rural water and wastewater systems with technical assistance, training, and circuit rider support. Complements OWRB's REAP grants and rural financing programs by serving the same customer base with operational support.
• Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ): Oklahoma's state environmental quality agency handling air, water quality, and waste permitting. Partners with OWRB on water quality standards and infrastructure funding; adjacent in mission but distinct from OWRB's water quantity and financing focus.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. EPA Office of Water: Federal agency providing the capitalization grants and program oversight for the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF programs that OWRB administers. Functions as OWRB's primary federal upstream partner and rule-setter.

Others

• Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA): National association of state officials who administer Clean Water Act programs, including SRF programs. OWRB would interact with ACWA as a peer organization representing its peer state agencies and as a venue for policy coordination.
• National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies: National association of floodplain and stormwater management agencies that supports OWRB's floodplain administrator training and NFIP-related functions. Peer membership body for OWRB's floodplain management division.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/okwaterboard
• Facebookfacebook.com/okwaterboard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oklahoma Water Resources Board