Arkansas approves $154M for water and wastewater upgrades across 52 communities

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced $153.9 million in new financial assistance for water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades, benefiting 52 entities and more than 814,000 residents statewide. Funding was approved by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program, and state water programs.

“Everywhere you look, Arkansas’ communities are expanding and demanding more from our infrastructure,” Sanders said in a press release. “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.”

Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward emphasized the long-term value of the investments, noting that “reliable water and wastewater systems are essential for both the health of Arkansans and the economic growth of our communities.” Natural Resources Division Director Chris Colclasure added that the projects represent “a continued, coordinated effort to strengthen the foundation of Arkansas’s water infrastructure.”

The funding package includes:

Clean Water State Revolving Fund – $81.4 million

Projects include sewer plant rehabilitations, wastewater system upgrades, pump station improvements, collection system rehabilitation, and regionalization initiatives. Major awards include:

• Clarksville – $36.3M for pollution control facility improvements

• Mayflower – $11.5M for regionalization with Conway Corporation

• Mountain Pine – $7.4M for sewer system rehabilitation

• Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority – $4.1M for six major treatment and pump station projects

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund – $54.6 million

Funding supports water meter replacements, transmission upgrades, manganese removal, system improvements, and modernization of smart meter systems. Key awards include:

• Bentonville – $9.6M for a central loop transmission project

• Trumann – $5.3M for manganese filtration improvements

• Tumbling Shoals – $4.2M for pump station and piping upgrades

• Elaine – $4.1M for water system improvements

Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grants – $1.12 million

Awards fund meter upgrades, generators, filtration improvements, and regionalization projects for communities with limited resources.

State Programs – $16.8 million

Projects include emergency repairs, manhole rehabilitation, wastewater plant upgrades, and major wholesale water system development. Notable funding includes:

• Saline Regional Public Water Authority – $7.7M for a wholesale water system using the Ouachita River

• Saline County Wastewater Facilities Board – $3.8M for treatment plant improvements

Since taking office, the Sanders administration has supported more than $2.7 billion in water infrastructure investments across all 75 Arkansas counties.