Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Sept. 16 that her office is releasing $8.2 million in financial assistance for three Arkansas water and wastewater projects.
The governor’s press release says the funding package includes a $100,000 emergency loan to the City of Black Rock for sewer lift station improvements that serve 590 customers, and a $100,000 emergency loan to the City of Stamps for wastewater treatment plant repairs that serve 1,258 customers.
The release names the White River Regional Irrigation District in Prairie County as the largest recipient — an $8,000,000 loan from the General Obligation Bond Program to continue construction on the Grand Prairie Demonstration Project.
The governor’s office says the Grand Prairie project, once completed, “will provide surface water irrigation to over 362,000 acres within critical groundwater areas.” The statement also quotes Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward saying Arkansas faces “more than $20 billion in water‑infrastructure needs over the next two decades.”
The press release notes that since taking office Governor Sanders has directed $2.8 billion in state and federal funding for water and wastewater projects serving all 75 counties in Arkansas, and it frames the new approvals as part of that ongoing effort.
Local stations and state outlets reported the same approvals and loan amounts, citing the governor’s announcement and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division for details.
For readers tracking related funding moves in Washington and the states, see a recent piece on federal support for rural infrastructure in another state.
federal funding for rural hospitals
Sources
- Governor of Arkansas — official press release announcing $8.2 million, project breakdowns, and quotes from Gov. Sanders and Wes Ward.
- Yahoo News (KTHV) — reporting that restates the announcement and lists the three approved projects and customer counts.
- KATV — local coverage confirming the loan approvals and the White River Regional Irrigation District’s $8 million loan for the Grand Prairie project.
