$79 million for Arkansas water projects coming down the pipe

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Projects to improve water quality, upgrade sanitary systems and install key water infrastructure can soon begin in counties across Arkansas through funding recently approved by the Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Commission.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the $79 million as a lump sum on Friday, though the funds can be differentiated by federal and state contributions, grants and loans.

“Arkansans are counting on their local water utilities to deliver consistent and safe drinking water. In my administration, we’re proud to help communities provide that critical service,” Sanders said in a press release.

More than half a million Arkansans should experience benefits from the expected projects.

The most expensive allocation of the bunch is a $50 million loan for the installation of 22,000 feet of pipe from the Beaver Water District’s western pumping station to Springdale’s water distribution system. The piping is expected to alleviate low system pressures, according to commission documents.

The second largest investment is $15 million to fund construction and planning for the White River Regional Irrigation District in Prairie County. Expected work includes financing real estate, relocating utilities and purchasing approximately 400 concrete boxes for county road crossings. Dollars will also assist the construction of highway crossings, according to the commission.

Separately, nine projects in eight Arkansas counties will be awarded funds through a $1.9 million federal grant program from the Environmental Protection Agency. The funds must be spent on specific water projects, such as the installation of sanitary and storm sewer systems, overflow tanks and downspout disconnection.

The highest allocated grants, $400,000 each, will be awarded to projects for the Watershed Conservation Resource Center in Fayetteville, the Illinois River Watershed Partnership in Cave Springs, Malvern Water Works and Arkansas City.

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The grant funds are not expected to cover the full cost of every proposed project. A $50,000 grant will complete a plan in Calico Rock to address water infiltration, but the same amount is only about one-fourth of the cost for an estimated $204,000 project in Gentry to install permanent wastewater flow meters in manholes.

The $400,000 officials in Arkansas City will receive is a dent in an estimated $2.6 million project to address chronic flooding.

Projects in Poyen, Magnolia and Hot Springs will receive federal loans with principal forgiveness, which means the cities won’t be responsible for any repayments. The cities will receive $558,600, $613,240 and $1.8 million, respectively.

The Natural Resources Commission approved all financial recommendations on Wednesday through two votes: the $1.9 million federal grant, and everything else. The latter also included three emergency loans related to water infrastructure in Hardy, Haynes and Phillips County.

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