Latest news with #WaterandSewerTreatmentFacilitiesGrantProgram
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Arkansas law establishes grant program for water and sewer facilities
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A new Arkansas law provides state funding for water and sewer treatment facility improvements. Act 812, formerly House Bill 1681, was passed with bipartisan support by the 95th General Assembly. It authorizes the state to establish a Water and Sewer Treatment Facilities Grant Program to be administered by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announces $66.5 million in funding for Arkansas water projects The law does not establish the amount funded but instructs the state treasurer, auditor and chief fiscal officer to develop the fund consisting of 'any revenues authorized by law.' Municipalities will apply to the fund for improvements in their district, and 80% of the fund will be awarded to 'shovel-ready projects' in first and second-class cities, according to the act's language, with 20% for cities and rural areas with less than 1,200 population. First-class Arkansas cities are classified as having a population above 2,500, with second-class cities at 500 to 2,499 in population. Arkansas announces $79 million in water project funding The act includes an emergency clause, meaning it goes into effect the day it was signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who signed it on April 17. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Three new laws pump $575 million into Arkansas water infrastructure
Video: Van Buren community voices concerns after being without water over the weekend LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Three bills passed during the current legislation session and signed into law by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders mark an investment in Arkansas water. Sanders said in a statement that the state's access to safe and reliable water infrastructure was necessary for the state to grow and thrive. 'I was proud to work with the legislature to support this legislation and invest more than half a billion dollars in Arkansas' water issues, and I will work closely with the Department of Agriculture to ensure we provide assistance to the communities that need it most,' the governor said. Arkansas' largest water plant set to be renovated; Central Arkansas Water customers paying for it Senate Bill 420, now Act 736, allows more private entities to convert to public water authorities, allowing them to apply for additional state funding. House Bill 1681, now Act 812, establishes the Water and Sewer Treatment Facilities Grant Program, providing $25 million from interest earnings per year over the next three years to water and sewer facilities, with 20% earmarked for rural systems serving 1,200 people or fewer. Multiple north Arkansas counties face water issues after pump station was lifted off ground by system break Senate Bill 421, now Act 578, creates a ballot initiative for the 2026 election that, if approved by voters, would provide $500 million in water and wastewater project funding through 2043, currently set to expire in 2027, paid for through loan repayments and no increase to state general revenue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
