Gov. Sanders announces $153 million for Arkansas water projects

Gov. Sarah Sanders announced Wednesday (Nov. 19) an additional $153,974,230 in financial assistance for water and wastewater projects for 52 entities — serving more than 814,142 Arkansans across the state.

“Everywhere you look, Arkansas’ communities are expanding and demanding more from our infrastructure,” Sanders said. “That’s why my administration is committed to providing funding for these latest projects, ensuring Arkansas’ water systems can keep up with demand so every Arkansan has clean water to drink and wastewater systems that work.”

Funding approved by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission includes:

Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund — $81,382,996

• Blevins, Hempstead County, received a $948,300 loan with principal forgiveness and a $316,100 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 150. These funds will be used for a sewer plant rehabilitation project.
• Clarksville, Johnson County, received a $5,451,664.35 loan with principal forgiveness and a $30,892,764.65 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 7,663. These funds will be used for pollution control facility improvements.
• Clinton, Van Buren County, received a $992,154.65 loan with principal forgiveness and a $1,659,255.35 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 3,025. These funds will be used for sewage pump station rehabilitation.
• Dawn Hill Country Club & Cynthiana Townhouses Property Owners Association, Benton County, received a $2,440,386 loan with principal forgiveness and a $813,462 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 225. These funds will be used for sanitary sewer upgrades.
• Dyess, Mississippi County, received a $2,666,508.75 loan with principal forgiveness and a $888,836.25 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 110. These funds will be used for wastewater collection system improvements.
• Etowah, Mississippi County, received a $338,000.25 loan with principal forgiveness and a $112,666.75 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 254. These funds will be used for wastewater system improvements.
• Gould, Lincoln County, received a $1,417,312.50 loan with principal forgiveness and a $472,437.50 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 300. These funds will be used for wastewater treatment plant improvements.
• H2Ozarks, Benton County, received a $250,000 loan with principal forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 94,400. These funds will be used for a septic tank remediation program.
• Hardy, Sharp County, received a $1,003,651.50 loan with principal forgiveness and a $334,550.50 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 458. These funds will be used for wastewater treatment facility improvements.
• Highland, Sharp County, received a $1,938,640.50 loan with principal forgiveness and a $646,213.50 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 982. These funds will be used for wastewater treatment facility improvements.
• Hope, Hempstead County, received a $521,830 loan with principal forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 5,000. These funds will be used for a landfill remediation project.
• Illinois River Watershed Partnership, Benton County, received a $83,000 loan with principal forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 94,400. These funds will be used for a septic tank remediation program.
• Junction City, Union County, received a $4,125,000 loan with principal forgiveness and a $1,375,000 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 280. These funds will be used for wastewater line improvements.
• Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority received a $4,096,463.50 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. These projects serve a customer base of 204,774. These funds will be used for the following six projects: sludge transfer pump station improvements at the Adams Field Water Reclamation Facility, a line assessment and sludge dewatering project at the Little Maumelle Water Reclamation Facility, improvements to the Little Rock Port Pump Station, a diversion structure project at I-440/Springer, repair project at FCWRF Headworks Gate and Concrete, and a side stream biosolids optimization project at FCWRF.
• Mayflower, Faulkner County, received a $11,544,000 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 2,354. These funds will be used for a regionalization project with Conway Corporation.
• Mountain Pine, Garland County, received a $5,544,750 loan with principal forgiveness and a $1,848,250 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 607. These funds will be used for a sewer system rehabilitation project.

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund — $54,629,059

• Bentonville, Benton County, received a $887,911 loan with principal forgiveness and a $8,733,449 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 94,400. These funds will be used for a supply water transmission central loop project.
• Bradley, Lafayette County, received a $144,719 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 497. These funds will be used for a water meter replacement.
• Branch, Franklin County, received a $192,225 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 500. These funds will be used for water meters.
• Cross County Rural Water System Public Facilities Board, Cross County, received a $851,600 loan with principal forgiveness, $138,500 loan with principal forgiveness, and $4,308,937 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. These projects serve a current customer base of 3,800. These funds will be used for renovations for manganese removal, an automatic transfer switch, a water meter replacement, and tank improvements.
• Cushman, Independence County, received a $435,800 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,400. These funds will be used for water meter and system improvements.
• Elaine, Phillips County, received a $4,088,990 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 473. These funds will be used for water system improvements.
  Freedom Public Water Authority, Polk County, received a $338,298 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,937. These funds will be used for a meter project.
• Garfield, Benton County, received a $7,500,000 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 618. These funds will be used for water main improvements.
• Hardy, Sharp County, received a $778,865 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 458. These funds will be used for a metering system replacement.
• Highway 4 and 24 Water Association, Ouachita County, received a $286,830 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 800. These funds will be used for water improvements.
• Horatio, Sevier County, received a $426,811 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,025. These funds will be used for water meter replacements.
• Keiser, Mississippi County, received a $652,685 loan from the Drinking Water Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 340. These funds will be used for a Smart Meter Modernization Initiative project.
• Leola, Grant County, received a $370,395 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 460. These funds will be used for water meter replacements.
• Lincoln, Washington County, received a $2,050,000 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 2,675. These funds will be used for water meter replacements.
• Little River Water Authority, Mississippi County, received a $221,500 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 740. These funds will be used for water meters.
• Magnolia, Columbia County, received a $3,846,901 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 11,477. These funds will be used for water meter replacements.
• Mountain Top Public Water Authority, Cleburne County, received a $1,800,000 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 9,607. These funds will be used for a meter project.
• Mulberry, Crawford County, received a $165,594 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 845. These funds will be used for a Smart Water Meter Modernization project.
• Pangburn, White County, received a $1,358,018 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,159. These funds will be used for water meter replacements.
• Quitman, Cleburne County, received a $3,996,820 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,630. These funds will be used for water system improvements.
• Sparkman, Dallas County, received a $454,341 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,325. These funds will be used for a meter replacement and backup generator.
• Star City, Lincoln County, received a $932,340 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 2,173. These funds will be used for water system improvements.
• Trumann, Poinsett County, received a $5,300,000 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 3,707. These funds will be used for manganese removal filtration improvements.
• Tumbling Shoals Water System Public Water Authority, Cleburne County, received a $4,157,530 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 6,525. These funds will be used for pump station and piping improvements.
• Vanndale-Birdeye Water Association, Cross County, received a $210,000 loan with principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 2,389. These funds will be used for an induced draft aerator replacement.
• Washington Water Authority, Washington County, received a $1,222,754 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 8,285. These funds will be used for the Goose Creek project.

Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program — $1,120,000

• Bonanza, Bradley County, received a $140,000 grant from the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program. This project serves a current customer base of 90. These funds will be used for meter upgrades.
• Dierks, Howard County, received a $195,400 grant from the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program. This project serves a current customer base of 575. These funds will be used for a new generator.
• Hickory Ridge, Cross County, received a $242,000 grant from the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program. This project serves a current customer base of 3,800. These funds will be used for water filter improvements.
• Ozan Creek Rural Water Authority, Sebastian County, received a $97,711 grant from the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program. This project serves a current customer base of 234. These funds will be used for a creek crossing line repair.
• Tuckerman, Jackson County, received a $294,889 grant from the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program. This project serves a current customer base of 1,707. These funds will be used for a smart meter replacement.
• Warren, Franklin County, received a $150,000 grant from the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program. This project serves a current customer base of 500. These funds will be used for a regionalization project with Corinth Valley.

State Programs — $16,842,175

• Beebe, White County, received a $1,688,798 loan from the Water Development Fund and a $1,559,976 loan from the Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste Fund. These projects serve a current customer base of 8,437. These funds will be used for a manhole rehabilitation project and a Southfork detention basin project.
• Gravette, Benton County, received a $309,000 loan from the Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,930. These funds will be used for water meter upgrades.
• H2Ozarks, Washington County, received a $64,700 grant from the Water Development Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 94,400. These funds will cover administrative costs for the Septic Tank Remediation Program.
• Mansfield, Sebastian County, received a $100,000 emergency loan from the Water Development Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 1,139. These funds will be used for emergency repairs at the wastewater treatment plan.
• Norman, Sebastian County, received a $12,360 loan from the Water Development Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 300. These funds will be used for repairs at Huddleston Creek.
• Saline County Wastewater and Sanitary Sewer Public Facilities Board, Saline County, received a $3,807,341 loan from the Water Development Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 2,563. These funds will be used for wastewater treatment plant improvements.
• Saline Regional Public Water Authority, Saline County, received a $7,745,730 loan from the General Obligation Bond Fund. This project is anticipated to serve a customer base of 99,918. These funds will be used to advance a wholesale water system using water from the Ouachita River.
• Washington Water Authority, Washington County, received a $1,554,270 loan from the General Obligation Bond Fund. This project serves a current customer base of 8,285. These funds will be used for the Cove Creek waterline project.

“Reliable water and wastewater systems are essential for both the health of Arkansans and the economic growth of our communities,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “Gov. Sanders’ leadership and continued commitment to investing in water infrastructure are helping communities across the state make critical improvements that will benefit Arkansans for generations.”

In 2023, Sanders issued Executive Order 23-27, initiating a comprehensive review of and update to the Arkansas Water Plan that guides the state’s management of water resources, water supply, water demand, and water quality.

The first phase was completed by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in August 2024. The second phase of the update is underway and will be completed in summer 2026.