RISON - Improvements to the city's water and wastewater infrastructure took center stage during the Rison City Council's first meeting of the new year Tuesday night.Joe Freyer, the city's utilities director, gave a slide presentation of some of the work currently underway with the city's two water wells and the wastewater treatment plant located at the Cleveland County Solid Waste Station on Hwy. 79.In January 2023, Mayor Charles Roberts announced that the city had been awarded a $3.9 million grant to make improvements to the city's sewer treatment plant, and $1.62 million grant to refurbish the city's two water tanks. Both grants were part of the federal American Rescue Plan.Renovations to the city's two water tanks - the "tin man" tank next to the courthouse and the large tank located at Veterans Park - were completed in the fall, but Freyer said the contractors will be returning to do some touch-up work after a recent inspection discovered some areas of rust developing.Meanwhile, Freyer reported that he is working with the city's construction manager, the Tolm Group of Morrilton, as it oversees improvements to the city's two water wells. He said pump motors are being rebuilt or replaced, controls are being installed and pads are being constructed for generators that will provide power to the pumps in the event of a power outage.Also, Freyer showed the city council some of the progress being at the city's wastewater plant. The plant is being completely updated to include new equipment that will allow the city to treat water with different disinfectants.On a related note, Roberts told the council that he still has a target date of March 1 to begin construction on the water lines in town. Rison has $3.3 million available through grants and loans that will help replace water lines in the downtown area as well as the residential area east of Main Street.The city council recently secured two loans through Arkansas Nat...
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