Kingsland Needs Rate Study Before Grant Work Begins

KINGSLAND - The City of Kingsland is having some difficulty in finding someone to conduct a water and sewer rate study, and as a result, it could have an impact as to when the city could begin construction on some wastewater improvements that would be funded by a proposed $500,000 grant. Mayor Sharon Crosby said in an interview after last Thursday’s meeting of the Kingsland City Council that the lack of the rate study will have no bearing on the grant application itself, but the city cannot begin any construction with that grant money until the study is conducted. Crosby has been working with Trey Foster, an engineer with Civil Engineering Associates in Conway, to complete the application for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant that would basically overhaul the city’s water system. If awarded, Crosby said the grant would replace or repair the pumps at the city’s two pump stations, and would help find and repair any leaks in the system. While Crosby said she feels confident the city can receive the grant, she said the actual construction for the proposed improvements cannot start until the city has completed a water and sewer rate study. Betty Graham, office manager for the Kingsland Water Department, said during last week’s city council meeting she has contacted the Arkansas Rural Water Association about having the rate study conducted but discovered there are several other communities making the same request and she did not have an answer as to when they could do the study. Graham said Act 605, a new state law that went into effect last year, requires public water/ wastewater systems to have a rate survey conducted once every five years. Since many cities which operate public utility systems have not had a study conducted within that time frame, Graham said there is now a huge backlog of requests. Such rate studies compare the (continued from page 1) cost to operate the water/...