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The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission on Wednesday approved $83 million for water projects, the bulk of which was a loan to fund improvements at the state’s largest water utility.
The commission approved an $80 million loan for Central Arkansas Water, which serves nearly 500,000 customers across eight counties. The utility recently initiated a 10-year rate increase schedule, which will double customers’ monthly bills by 2032 and fund three major infrastructure improvements.
According to a press release from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office, the $80 million loan will increase funding for one of the utility’s capital projects: improvements to the Jack H. Wilson Treatment Plant in Little Rock.
Wilson WTP Site diagram proposed upgrades
Built in the 1950s, the Jack H. Wilson Treatment Plant is the utility’s “most critical asset, as the plant treats approximately 75% of the water we produce annually,” CAW spokesperson Douglas Shackelford said. Aside from regular maintenance over the last 70 years, no major renovations have ever occurred at the facility.
The project’s construction costs are estimated at $230 million, and the recent loan approval should fully fund it to completion, Shackelford said. The Natural Resources Commission previously approved a $150 million loan toward the project’s construction.
The $80 million loan is set to be paid back over 20 years using money from the rate increase. Funds will be distributed during a phased construction period from 2025 to 2029.
As is the case with many of Arkansas’ water systems, Shackelford described the current state of the treatment plant as in “deterioration.”
Shackelford described a number of renovations that are planned for the Jack H. Wilson Treatment Plant including:
Concrete restoration throughout the entire water treatment plant
New raw water blending and rapid mix structure
Enhancement of the existing sedimentation basins
New solids collection system
Wash trough replacement
New filter-to-waste system
Modifications to the existing waste pit facilities
Enhancements to the chlorine dioxide feed system
The treatment plant will remain functional while construction is underway, and no jobs should be affected, Shackelford said. Progress will occur one water basin at a time until the facility’s four are renovated.
Approximately 156,000 residents live within the affected area, according to the governor’s press release.
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Other projects
Water systems across Arkansas are in critical condition, and staff who work in both rural and urban areas have described the need for immediate funding to make improvements.
Leaders in Arkansas water infrastructure hope for relief with latest federal funding
The Natural Resources Commission also approved six other funding opportunities on Wednesday totaling nearly $3.5 million for projects in four counties, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“While we often take it for granted, adequate water and wastewater infrastructure is critical to the quality of life of every Arkansan and the sustainability of communities and industries throughout the state,” Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward said in a statement.
Logan County will receive a $2 million loan to be spent toward an existing wastewater collection and treatment rehabilitation project, affecting approximately 400 residents. The funding will come from the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
Also from that fund, Garland County will receive $570,000 for a wastewater treatment plant project. Approximately 70 residents will be affected.
In Pope County, $363,000 from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund will be used toward a wastewater collection and treatment rehabilitation. More than 8,000 residents are in the affected area.
Newton County will receive three loans from the state Water Development Fund. The Compton Water Association is slated for $83,000 to rehabilitate a 100,000-gallon standpipe, which will affect approximately 350 people.
Also from Newton County and from the same state fund, the Nail-Swain Water Association will receive a total of $148,000 in two loans for the rehabilitation of two water tanks. Approximately 400 residents will be affected.
Arkansas Environmental Training Academy in Camden is slated for a $232,840 grant for wastewater operator training, according to the governor’s press release.
In addition to providing funding opportunities for water systems, state environmental officials are also updating the Arkansas Water Plan, which when completed in 2027 should guide leaders on water infrastructure and availability until 2050.
Officials will also produce the first-ever Arkansas Flood Plan, which is expected to propose flood mitigation solutions and strategies.
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