Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group’s (OMAG) Sanitary Sewer System of the Year awards recognize outstanding municipal sewer systems across Oklahoma.
Presented annually at the Sanitary Sewer Expo, there are two award categories: one for large municipalities and one for small towns. Operators can nominate their systems for award consideration by submitting an online application that outlines why their system deserves the award.
OMAG’s Award Committee carefully reviews each submission based on its merits. This year, OMAG is pleased to announce Bokchito as the winner of the Sewer System of the Year award for small town. Bokchito is constantly striving to improve their collection system.
Their current leader, Public Works Director Misty Smith, has been with the town for six years and has diligently attended every training, license, and certification available to her. She has proven over the years to be an avid learner, highly adaptable, and competently makes the tough decisions to move the town’s system forward.
Most recently, Smith became Bokchito’s Flood Plain Manager and completed the first phase of the Lead Service Line Inventory. Over the last year, she has overcome several major equipment failures as well as mitigating multiple long-standing DEQ consent order violations.
Additionally, under her direction the town has added more employees, applied for a CDBG grant to improve their collection system. Bokchito has also done an amazing job ensuring their system has been 100% acoustically inspected and GIS mapped. Bokchito has also implemented a comprehensive cleaning program and CCTV inspected 50% of their collection system, over the last few years. It is for these reasons, Bokchito was awarded Sewer System of the Year.
