FEDERAL MONEY - Arkansas will receive $280 million dollars in federal funds from the Biden administration’s “American Rescue Plan” to deal with the state’s water problems. About 96 percent of that money , $270 million dollars will go to water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure projects, and the remaining $10 million will assist areas in eastern Arkansas with the transition from groundwater to surface water and help preserve the Sparta and Alluvial aquifers.
The $270 million in one-time grant funding for water infrastructure projects will be administered by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture through the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. Projects will be determined for eligibility consistent with the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Final Rule. Funding will be limited to a maximum of $5 million per entity for each project type. Eligible entities must apply for the grant funding by Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson created a Water and Other Infrastructure Working Group to assist the Arkansas American Rescue Plan Act Steering Committee in identifying water infrastructure projects. They conducted a needs survey that identified more than $5 billion dollars in water, wastewater, and storm water needs across the state.
