Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Emmet Receives Water Grant

Residents of Emmet have something to celebrate these days.

The city received a check for $828,000 to replace its water lines and provide and safer water to the citizenry on Thursday, March 27, at the Emmet City Hall.

Theodore Eldridge, Rural Utilities Assistant Director with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, credited the people of Emmet for the work they've done to procure the funds, which came in the form of a grant (for $382,500) and loan ($445,500).

Arkansas, he said, gets between $21 and $22 million annually from the national offices of USDA for such projects. According to Eldridge, these funds are normally divided into loans (60 percent) and grants (40 percent).

In addition, he said there are requests for $130 million from across Arkansas because many areas don't have adequate water supplies.

Emmet Mayor Chuck Otwell said the people of the city shouldn't be in a big hurry to get the job done. It will take, he said, more than a year to complete.

The rates, he said, will be figured on the average income and population of Emmet. "When we get this in," he said of the system, "I hope the rates will be figured then on the people. We have some poor people here."

Otwell said there were 104 water meters in place when he took office on Jan. 1, 1991, but the count on the last billing (done in February) showed 231 customers.

Otwell heaped praise on the area's representatives, State Sen. Mike Ross and Representatives Percy Malone and Sandra Rodgers, for their efforts in making sure Emmet got these funds. He also lauded the Emmet City Council for its part.

"It looks like we're on our way," he said.

The purpose of the project, Otwell said, is two-fold -- first, to deliver a proper volume and quality of water to the people of Emmet in a sanitary manner; and, secondly, to increase the size of water pipes and install fire hydrants to help decrease the insurance rates paid by Emmet's citizens.

The engineering work is being done by Christian and Ward of Texarkana. Earl Christian was on hand for the festivities, saying the lines will be replaced with PVC plastic pipes.

The one-inch pipes will be replaced with four-inch pipe, with the smallest pipe used being three inches in diameter.

This particular project, he said, started in 1993, with Emmet working to get the money to replace its water lines. "It took less time to get this one through," he said. "The Emmet council was responsive to what needed to be done."

The project, Christian said, will use about nine miles of pipe, with approximately 50 hydrants being installed. Once work begins, he continued, it will take about a year to complete.

However, he stressed how long it takes will depend heavily on the weather and how hard it is to get people to sign the required easements.

No new wells will be dug, and there will be no new water tanks installed for this project. But, Christian said, a master meter will be installed and a standby generator put in for times the power goes out.

Once the easements are signed, Christian and Otwell said the project will be let for contract.

Emmet's water system was first installed in 1960, with little, other than repairs, being done in the interim. The improvements, according to the USDA, are necessary for better water pressure and fire protection.

Otwell refused to take credit for the project's success to date, instead praising the work done by the council and people of Emmet. "They all helped and joined in," he said. "We've been blessed."