Drinking Water Enforcement: Arkansas Drinking Water Update Publication Announces Enforcement Orders for Three Water Systems

The Fall 2024 edition of the publication Arkansas Drinking Water Update (“Update”) summarized Enforcement Orders that were issued for three Arkansas water systems.

The Update is published by the Engineering Section of the Arkansas Department of Health.

The Engineering Section implements and enforces the requirements of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act in the State of Arkansas.

The Update states that hearings were held for three water systems on July 31, 2024, for what it describes as “ongoing violations of drinking water requirements”. The hearings were stated to have been conducted by a subcommittee of the Arkansas State Board of Health. The findings from the subcommittee are stated to have been presented to the full State Board of Health pursuant to which they were fully adopted.

The Enforcement Orders for the three water systems are summarized as:

1. Order for Compton Waterworks to obtain a qualified operator within 90-days and maintain compliance with drinking water requirements for a 12-month period. The Order assessed a penalty of $228,000, with $500 immediately due and the remainder suspended conditioned on compliance with the Order.
2. Order for Fouke Waterworks to correct identified Significant Deficiencies, publish overdue and upcoming public notices of violations, pay $4,461.60 for past due Public Water System Service Fees, and maintain compliance with drinking water requirements for a 12- month period. The Order assessed a penalty of $28,000, with $500 immediately due and the remainder suspended conditioned on compliance with the Order.
3. Order for Hosanna Heights Waterworks to obtain a qualified operator within 90-days, publish overdue and upcoming public notices of violations, submit required monthly operational reports, pay $250.00 for past due Public Water System Service Fees, and maintain compliance with drinking water requirements for a 12-month period. The Order assessed a penalty of $137,280, with $500 immediately due and the remainder suspended conditioned on compliance with the Order.

A copy of the Update can be found here.