How the Project Came About
Since the early 1980's there have been efforts to bring supplies of safe and plentiful water to Boone, Newton, and Searcy Counties. Many ideas were considered. One early plan called for damming Bear Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo National River. Environmental concerns killed that idea. Efforts continued to find a workable solution to the problem.
In 2004, twenty-two water associations joined together into an alliance to continue seeking a solution. An engineering firm, Engineering Services, Inc., of Springdale was chosen as the firm to carry this project forward. The Alliance looked at several ideas, finally deciding to pursue one which would take water from Lake Bull Shoals, treat it, then furnish it to the member associations through approximately 110 miles of pipeline. This was to be done over a period of many years.
Two critical needs areas were identified and it was determined that those would be the areas where work would begin. The Mt. Sherman Water Association in Newton County was under administrative order from the State Health Department, restricting their water usage due to excessive amounts of naturally occuring radium in the groundwater. ESI proposed piping water from Jasper via a 4-inch main line with suitable lift stations to the Mt. Sherman system in a quantity suitable for dilution. This would be a temporary fix until lake water was delivered to the Jasper area.
The second critical needs area was in Searcy County. Water systems there had to deal with excess amounts of radon, radium, and fluoride, plus a low supply of water at times, and were also under administrative order from the Health Department. To help alleviate the problem, Marshall's water system was to be upgraded and additional storage facilities added, providing additional water to Marshall, which would then sell to other systems.
The Alliance began seeking funds for these two projects, working through State and Federal agencies and our State and Federal congressional representatives, as well as applying for grants from area businesses to cover day-to-day expenses.
In 2006 the Alliance converted to a public water authority, giving it the ability to finance projects with construction bonds and to take land by eminent domain. The Authority was governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, with three directors from each county. Work continued toward getting started on the critical needs areas: engineering, obtaining funding, getting required cultural and environmental surveys done. Then in October, 2008, word came down that there could be another Federal stimulus fund. If the Authority received adequate stimulus funding, the entire project could be completed in the next few years. Everyone involved began working diligently so that all would be ready if the funds became available.
ESI had been working hard on the critical needs areas but shifted to working on the project as a whole, putting extra personnel on the project. Final decisions on the location of the intake and treatment plant had to be made and surveys of the properties were needed. Many meetings were held with the Corps of Engineers, USDA, State Health Department, ANRC, and others, making sure all bases were being covered. The Authority had to get appraisals of those properties needed as well as the land where easements would be required. Then land purchases had to be made and easements acquired. Contracts to purchase wholesale water had to be obtained from the water systems involved. A major hurdle was the Corps' water allocation study. These studies could take up to five years to complete, but the Corps promised to expediate the work for our project.
As we waited for word on stimulus funding ESI was busy providing revisions and updates to the various governmental agencies involved with the project, getting necessary permits, and finalizing plans. On October 6, 2009, announcement that the project would receive $55,728,000.00 in ARRA stimulus came down from Washington, D.C. We waited for the final water allocation from the Corps, since no bids could be let or work begun until that was received. The engineers continued their work. More impact and environmental studies were required and the original critical needs plans were modified to fit in with the total project. Lands and easements were obtained from owners, or taken through the courts. And finally, the water allocation from the Corps was granted on August 17, 2010. A formal public check presentation celebration was held on September 9, 2010 in Marshall.
In September, the project was put out for bids. Bids were opened November 16 and 17, 2010. Bids on the water mains came in as expected, but bids on the treatment plant, intake structure, and booster pumping stations were much higher than expected. So everyone went back to work, making changes to the plans and working with the contractors to lower costs, and seeking new sources of funding. On December 16, 2010, the Board officially accepted the contracts for construction. Closing on the ARRA funds was on December 29, 2010.
The two year construction phase of this project began on March 1, 2011.
In 2004, twenty-two water associations joined together into an alliance to continue seeking a solution. An engineering firm, Engineering Services, Inc., of Springdale was chosen as the firm to carry this project forward. The Alliance looked at several ideas, finally deciding to pursue one which would take water from Lake Bull Shoals, treat it, then furnish it to the member associations through approximately 110 miles of pipeline. This was to be done over a period of many years.
Two critical needs areas were identified and it was determined that those would be the areas where work would begin. The Mt. Sherman Water Association in Newton County was under administrative order from the State Health Department, restricting their water usage due to excessive amounts of naturally occuring radium in the groundwater. ESI proposed piping water from Jasper via a 4-inch main line with suitable lift stations to the Mt. Sherman system in a quantity suitable for dilution. This would be a temporary fix until lake water was delivered to the Jasper area.
The second critical needs area was in Searcy County. Water systems there had to deal with excess amounts of radon, radium, and fluoride, plus a low supply of water at times, and were also under administrative order from the Health Department. To help alleviate the problem, Marshall's water system was to be upgraded and additional storage facilities added, providing additional water to Marshall, which would then sell to other systems.
The Alliance began seeking funds for these two projects, working through State and Federal agencies and our State and Federal congressional representatives, as well as applying for grants from area businesses to cover day-to-day expenses.
In 2006 the Alliance converted to a public water authority, giving it the ability to finance projects with construction bonds and to take land by eminent domain. The Authority was governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, with three directors from each county. Work continued toward getting started on the critical needs areas: engineering, obtaining funding, getting required cultural and environmental surveys done. Then in October, 2008, word came down that there could be another Federal stimulus fund. If the Authority received adequate stimulus funding, the entire project could be completed in the next few years. Everyone involved began working diligently so that all would be ready if the funds became available.
ESI had been working hard on the critical needs areas but shifted to working on the project as a whole, putting extra personnel on the project. Final decisions on the location of the intake and treatment plant had to be made and surveys of the properties were needed. Many meetings were held with the Corps of Engineers, USDA, State Health Department, ANRC, and others, making sure all bases were being covered. The Authority had to get appraisals of those properties needed as well as the land where easements would be required. Then land purchases had to be made and easements acquired. Contracts to purchase wholesale water had to be obtained from the water systems involved. A major hurdle was the Corps' water allocation study. These studies could take up to five years to complete, but the Corps promised to expediate the work for our project.
As we waited for word on stimulus funding ESI was busy providing revisions and updates to the various governmental agencies involved with the project, getting necessary permits, and finalizing plans. On October 6, 2009, announcement that the project would receive $55,728,000.00 in ARRA stimulus came down from Washington, D.C. We waited for the final water allocation from the Corps, since no bids could be let or work begun until that was received. The engineers continued their work. More impact and environmental studies were required and the original critical needs plans were modified to fit in with the total project. Lands and easements were obtained from owners, or taken through the courts. And finally, the water allocation from the Corps was granted on August 17, 2010. A formal public check presentation celebration was held on September 9, 2010 in Marshall.
In September, the project was put out for bids. Bids were opened November 16 and 17, 2010. Bids on the water mains came in as expected, but bids on the treatment plant, intake structure, and booster pumping stations were much higher than expected. So everyone went back to work, making changes to the plans and working with the contractors to lower costs, and seeking new sources of funding. On December 16, 2010, the Board officially accepted the contracts for construction. Closing on the ARRA funds was on December 29, 2010.
The two year construction phase of this project began on March 1, 2011.
