Now that we are in the month of October, it appears that the significant heatwave and period of drought is behind us. Although, I would feel a lot better about this cooler weather if it were bringing in more routine and “normal” rainfall amounts. This August and September were record-setting months for the District. In August, the District sold more than 3 billion gallons to our customer cities and in early September, we set new single day records by treating more than 110 million gallons in one day and selling more than 107 million gallons on that same day. Because peak hour demands rise and fall during a 24-hour period, our treatment plants were, at times, processing at rates reaching as high as 135 million gallons per day (MGD). Given that the District’s total rated capacity is 140 MGD, the next three years of summer months (until the new 80 MGD Starr water treatment plant comes online) could be really interesting! That is why we have undertaken multiple significant capital expansion projects that will likely total more than $700 million over the next 5 to 10 years.
Of course, Beaver Water District is not the only municipal or public entity in NWA that is facing the necessity of expanding infrastructure to meet the current and future growth needs of the region. Over the last 12 months, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Division (ANRD) have been jointly working on a regional wastewater study. The goal of the study is to provide the region with guidance and framework for overcoming the current issues of inadequate and fragmented sewer conveyance and treatment capacity across multiple municipal areas. By all indications, and from a regional perspective, the existing combined treatment capacity of the region should be enough to support growth over the next 15 to 20 years. However, that capacity is not necessarily located where it is currently needed. Several of the larger cities have excess capacity, while many of the smaller communities are at or near their treatment capacities. It is estimated that the region will need to invest more than $2 billion (in 2026 dollars) in order to meet the projected growth to 2050. Unfortunately, that amount is likely to increase over the same period, as borrowing costs and infrastructure construction costs steadily rise.
As I contemplated the subject of my message for this quarter’s newsletter, I received a request for an interview from a reporter with the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. It was a timely reminder of the ever-present need to communicate the efforts and challenges of meeting infrastructure growth needs for our region. Ms. Anusha Fathepure is a new “growth” reporter with the NWADG. Her title alone is indication enough of the unique time in which we find ourselves here in Northwest Arkansas, and I look forward to her future reporting on this subject. As I reflected on our interview, the thought of an age-old Amish tradition came to mind…a Barn Raising.
For the Amish, a barn raising is an example of a “frolic,” an event that depends on a community of individuals coming together and sharing the burden to accomplish a practical goal (like building a barn). Through shared effort, a daunting and overwhelming task for just one or a few, becomes easily achievable. I firmly believe that we must face our infrastructure challenges together as a region, rather than individually. However, as a region we must be willing to face the hard truths, reach consensus, and be intentional about making decisions for our future benefit rather than just short-term costs.
For any number of individual communities in our region, facing the financial and regulatory burdens of providing adequate water and wastewater infrastructure can be overwhelming or, frankly speaking, simply unmanageable. But NWA has joined together before to create successful regional solutions to its past challenges. I believe Beaver Water District is one such example and I know that there are others. The proverb “many hands make light work” means that a difficult or large task becomes much easier when people cooperate and share the responsibility. For the Amish, a barn raising is a powerful symbol of community. For NWA, I would suggest that we come together in the same way. It is time to frolic.