Building Resilient Communities: Lessons from a Town Doing It Right

5 min read

The first time a town loses water pressure on a hot afternoon- or watches a road wash out after a spring storm- it stops being “infrastructure” and starts being personal. Okeene understands that. Instead of reacting to problems, the town is quietly rebuilding the systems people rely on every day so they don’t fail in the first place.

Modern Water Systems That Think Ahead

Okeene’s mid-century water tower has stood for decades, but longevity alone doesn’t equal reliability. After a detailed engineering review, the town chose to upgrade rather than replace—applying advanced epoxy coatings, resurfacing the interior, and installing real-time sensors that monitor water levels and pressure.

Think of it like turning an old pickup into a smart vehicle: same frame, but now it “talks back” when something’s off.

These upgrades align with EPA guidance for small systems, helping Okeene stay compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act while improving efficiency (EPA 2022). At the same time, the town is replacing outdated galvanized pipes with ductile iron and high-density polyethylene—materials that last longer, perform better, and reduce contamination risks. It’s a move that reflects a broader national reality: much of America’s buried infrastructure is aging out, and proactive replacement is far cheaper than emergency repair (AWWA 2021).

To make it financially workable, Okeene tapped into the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, spreading costs over time instead of placing the burden on residents all at once.

Taming Stormwater Before It Becomes a Problem

In many rural communities, stormwater isn’t just about rain—it’s about runoff from fields, overwhelmed culverts, and water moving faster than systems were designed to handle.

Okeene is approaching this like a mapmaker and a strategist. By studying drainage patterns and identifying flood-prone areas, the town is targeting its weakest points first. Undersized culverts are being replaced with reinforced concrete structures, and bioswales—natural, plant-lined channels—are being considered to slow and filter runoff.

Upstream, the town is exploring watershed dam rehabilitation in partnership with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. These small interventions can have outsized effects, reducing peak flood flows while supporting agriculture—a dual benefit emphasized by USDA watershed programs (NRCS 2020).

It’s the difference between constantly mopping the floor and finally fixing the leak.

Broadband: The Utility You Can’t See but Feel Everywhere

Ask a farmer trying to track commodity prices or a student attending virtual classes—connectivity is no longer optional.

Okeene is treating broadband like any other essential utility. By working with the Oklahoma Broadband Office and leveraging BEAD Program funding, the town is identifying service gaps and building a roadmap to close them.

What’s especially strategic is how they’re doing it. Instead of building from scratch, Okeene is using what it already owns—water towers, schools, fire stations—as anchor points for wireless and fiber infrastructure. It’s efficient, cost-effective, and future-ready.

This kind of planning opens the door to smart infrastructure: automated water metering, remote system monitoring, even traffic tracking for agricultural logistics. According to the FCC, expanding broadband access is one of the most impactful ways to boost economic opportunity in rural areas (FCC 2023).

The Real Engine: Coordination and Smart Funding

Infrastructure success isn’t just about what you build—it’s about how you line up the pieces.

Okeene has taken a layered approach, coordinating across agencies like ODOT, OWRB, and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce while tapping into federal programs like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. By bundling projects and aligning applications, the town has increased its chances of securing funding and sped up timelines (GAO 2022).

Just as importantly, these projects aren’t happening in isolation. They’re tied to a broader capital improvement plan that connects infrastructure to housing, economic development, and public safety goals.

Regular conversations with farmers, business owners, and utility providers keep the process grounded in real needs—not just planning documents.

Maintaining What Matters

Here’s where many communities fall short: building new infrastructure but neglecting what already exists.

Okeene is flipping that script with a data-driven asset management system. Using GIS mapping and inventory tools, the town tracks roads, pipes, and stormwater systems—prioritizing maintenance based on condition, risk, and usage.

Simple practices like crack sealing roads or regularly flushing hydrants may not make headlines, but they dramatically extend system life at a fraction of replacement costs (EPA 2017).

It’s not glamorous—but it’s what keeps budgets stable and services reliable.

What Other Communities Can Take Away

Okeene’s approach offers a practical blueprint:

Upgrade strategically, not reactively—extend the life of existing assets where possible.
Combine funding sources to make big projects feasible without overwhelming taxpayers.
Treat digital infrastructure as essential, not optional.
Use data to guide maintenance decisions before failures occur.

Whether you’re managing a town or just starting your career in public service, the lesson is the same: resilience isn’t built in one big project—it’s built in hundreds of smart, coordinated decisions over time.

The Bottom Line: Build Like People Are Counting on It- Because They Are

Infrastructure isn’t just pipes, pavement, or signals. It’s the quiet system that keeps daily life moving—until it doesn’t.

Okeene shows what’s possible when a community commits to thinking long-term, acting collaboratively, and investing wisely.

Now the question shifts to you: What’s one system in your community—or your organization—that everyone depends on but no one is improving yet?

Start there. That’s how resilience begins.

References

Environmental Protection Agency. Asset Management for Small Water Systems. EPA 816-R-22-005. 2022. https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/asset-management-small-water-systems.

American Water Works Association. Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge. 2021. https://www.awwa.org/Portals/0/AWWA/ETS/Resources/BuriedNoLonger.pdf.

Natural Resources Conservation Service. Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program. USDA, 2020. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/watershed-and-flood-prevention-operations-program.

Federal Communications Commission. 2023 Broadband Deployment Report. January 2023. https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-progress-reports/2023-broadband-deployment-report.

U.S. Government Accountability Office. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Opportunities and Challenges for Federal Agencies. GAO-22-105954. 2022. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105954.