Funding for water and wastewater projects can be confusing to navigate and it is generally provided by a variety of agencies in a state. Some states have made an effort to consolidate funding entities and partner agencies to provide a single point of contact for assistance to communities in their region. In this blog series, you will learn about some of the existing Water Advisory Committees in the country: what they are, who they bring together, how they operate, and what assistance they provide to their state. In this blog, we give an overview of The Water/Wastewater Advisory Committee for the state of Arkansas.
What is it?
The Water/Wastewater Advisory Committee (WWAC) was created in 1992 and is a partnership of four state agencies in support of water and wastewater projects. The WWAC aids with project development and recommends project financing to communities through its application process.
Committee Members
In the state of Arkansas, the WWAC partners are the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development, and Communities Unlimited.
Regular Meetings
Representatives from each agency meet the first Wednesday of every month to discuss and review pre-applications for water and wastewater projects. Projects funded by the WWAC include treatment plants, distribution lines, water and/or wastewater service extensions, elevated or ground storage tanks, and new water sources such as wells. These meetings are open to the public and applicants may attend them.
How to Receive Funding Assistance
Funding pre-application forms must be submitted to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission at ANRC.WWAC@agriculture.arkansas.gov by the 15th of each month to make the agenda for the next meeting. Pre-application forms can be found here. The committee may request a preliminary engineering report, although it is not mandatory for the pre-application submission.
Once submitted, the review process typically takes a month. When information is missing or the committee has questions while reviewing the application, the Committee sends out a letter requesting additional information to continue with the process. Once reviewed, the WWAC provides a letter with comments, recommendations, and a list of the most appropriate funding sources for the project. The system or community ultimately decides which funding source to use.
Point of Contact
For more information visit: https://www.agriculture.arkansas.gov/natural-resources/divisions/water-development/the-water-wastewater-advisory-committee/
or contact:
Amy Theriac, Program Outreach Coordinator for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Division.
Phone: 501 682-0547
Address: 10421 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205
Email: ANRC.WWAC@agriculture.arkansas.gov
In Summary:
Arkansas provides systems with the opportunity to receive assistance regarding project development and funding from the Water/Wastewater Advisory Committee (WWAC). The committee meets every month to review applications and give suggestions for the projects in an efficient and coordinated manner. This entity allows communities in the state to go to one place and get advice on how to make their project succeed with the appropriate funding sources. Arkansas is one of the few states that has a committee that integrates different state agencies for the benefit of their water and wastewater infrastructure. If your system is in Arkansas, make sure to reach out to the WWAC for your next project.