By Associated Press
Oklahoma City – OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The city of Oklahoma City can get access to most of the water in Sardis Lake after giving the Oklahoma Water Resources Board $27 million to retire the debt owed on constructing the lake.
Oklahoma City Manager Jim Couch said Monday the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust gave the state agency the money June 16 so the state could finish paying the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Officials plan to pipe water from the southeast Oklahoma lake into central Oklahoma for use by customers across the region.
But several residents and lawmakers argue that the deal robs one of the state's poorest areas of a valuable natural resource.
Amy Ford of Oklahomans for Responsible Water Policy says a lawsuit against the deal could be filed.