New prison would exacerbate Fort Smith’s current water transmission challenges

By Brett Rains

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    FORT SMITH, Ark. (KHBS, KHOG) — A recent engineering study revealed that Fort Smith is already struggling to meet water demand during peak periods, raising concerns about providing water to a planned 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County.

The study indicated that adding the prison as a customer could worsen the situation, leaving more residents with low water pressure or no water.

“We have to have water there to even start the construction. We got other options of water, one coming from Fort Smith, one coming from maybe Ozark. The other option is just coming from, around the Arkansas River,” Arkansas Board of Corrections Chair Benny Magness said during a June meeting.

Acting City Administrator Jeff Dingman expressed doubts about using Fort Smith as a water source.

“It’s not a question of the amount of water we have. It’s the ability to treat it and get it to town. That’s the problem,” he said.

According to a June 30 hydraulic modeling report by Hawkins-Weir Engineers, Fort Smith can currently produce a maximum of 50 million gallons of water per day.

Rapid development in the Chaffee Crossing area has further strained the water supply.

“All great stuff, but they are all water users. And so, we have had days when we’re using more than the 50 million gallons a day that our two plants working combined can produce,” Dingman said. “If we have a prolonged period of hot weather where people are using water without doing any conservation measures, then those water reservoirs have a tough time keeping up with that day’s use.”

To address the issue, the city has embarked on a five-phase project to build and install a 48-inch water transmission line spanning more than 30 miles from the Lake Fort Smith Water Treatment Plant in Mountainburg to Fort Smith. This new line, which will replace the original 1930s 27-inch water line, is expected to more than double the city’s water supply capabilities.

However, only the first phase, approximately six miles of the line, has been completed. The remaining phases are under design, with no timeline or funding plan finalized. The total cost of the project was previously estimated at $130 million.

“Those are things that we have to work through in terms of managing our operating budgets and making sure our water rates are at the appropriate levels. And then we have to face the fact that we’re going to have to put some investment into our water system,” Dingman said.

Even with unlimited funding, completing all phases of the water line project would take at least a decade, Dingman told 40/29 News. He plans to meet with prison contractors and representatives from the governor’s office at the end of the month to review the latest report.

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