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Sewer expansion project for Southside
August 23, 2022
Published in The Batesville Daily Guard August 22, 2022
The Southside Public Water Authority Board of Directors voted recently, to proceed with construction of a wastewater expansion project that will provide sewer to customers along Highway 25/14 and Fred St. in Desha.
NLS Construction, LLC from Rose Bud (White County) was awarded the contract of $1,802,514. This expansion project will provide for the current needs of the existing customers within the new service area that signed up to take the sewer, as well as future residential and commercial growth within the service area that includes the heavily traveled Highway 25/14 corridor that leads into the Southside-Batesville area.
The project includes an additional force main lift station as well as approximately four miles of force main, 31 simplex grinder pumps, three duplex grinder stations, and one quad grinder station.
“The area to be served has issues with private septic systems during the wet weather times of year”, said to Authority Board President Keith Harmon.
“This will provide a much more sanitary service during those times of year and allow the landowners to fully utilize their properties year-round.”
The project will be completely funded by money that was secured when the Water Authority took advantage of low interest rates and re-issued municipal bonds totaling $16.5 million dollars in early 2020.
“We were able to leverage our savings in interest and gain additional capital to fund projects that would provide beneficial services to our customers,” said Scott Williams, Authority Manager. “This also provides additional revenue that helps to provide long term stability to our rate structure.”
The bond re-issue was done without increasing any additional monthly debt to the Authority.
“When the project is near completion, we will continue to look at other densely populated areas for sewer improvements within the Southside area. It is important when we reach out, that customers respond in a timely manner”, said Harmon, “we need to have a large percentage in the proposed area to sign up to take the service to allow us to fund the capital improvements. We were right at 90 percent participation on this project, that is why it is becoming a reality for these residents.”
