Rison Begins Long-Delayed Water Project

RISON - About two-and-a-half years after the initial grant was awarded, the City of Rison finally broke ground this week on a $3.3 million project that will replace a large portion of the city’s aging water system with new lines.Rison is using a $1.5 million grant provided through the American Rescue Plan Act in 2023, and a $1.8 million loan from Arkansas Natural Resources secured last year to fund the improvements.Mayor Charles Roberts said all but $450,595.50 of the $1.8 million Natural Resources loan is “forgivable,” which means the city water department will only have to repay that balance. He said that loan will sunset in June 2047.Roberts said the current water project will replace about 75 percent of the water lines within the city that need to be replaced. He said this first phase of the project concentrate on the oldest parts of the system, which includes the downtown area and the residential area east of Main Street, including the Lanwood neighborhood. It will also extend south to areas near the school.The water project is expected to take about a year to complete, Roberts said. The work that began this week is first of a two-phase effort to replace the city’s aging water lines, some of which are about a century old. Roberts said second phase will concentrate on replacing the remaining 25 percent of the lines that need replacing. He said he is already seeking grant money for that.In addition, Roberts said he is already working on grants for another infrastructure project that will replace the sewer lines and lift stations in the city. Overall, Rison has received more than $8.8 million since 2023 to improve the city’s infrastructure.The city was awarded more than $7 million in grants through the American Rescue Plan Act in January 2023 to renovate the city’s two water tanks and its wastewater system. That funding included $3.9 million to renovate the city’s wastewater treatme...