The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division offers financial assistance for water and wastewater projects through three state and five federal programs. Most funding provided by the Natural Resources Division is in the form of a loan that is approved by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission.

There are a variety of capital improvement projects that may be funded through these programs, including public water supply, treatment and distribution systems; water meter replacements; sewer collection and treatment systems; solid waste disposal; irrigation; and erosion and sediment control.

Entities eligible to submit applications for financial assistance include, but are not limited to, cities, towns, counties, public water authorities and public facility boards.

Application process

• Submit a Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee Pre-Application: Before applying for funding, you must have a letter of recommendation from the Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee (WWAC). The WWAC meets monthly to review applications. Pre-applications are due by the 15th of each month to be placed on the next month’s agenda.
• Review Act 605 Requirements: Review the requirements under Act 605 of 2021 (Water Provider Oversight) to see if they apply to your project. Learn more here.
• Request Ranking on Project Priority List: All water and wastewater projects must be listed on the project priority list before applying for funding. If your project is not on the list, the application will be considered incomplete and returned.
  • To add a project to the list, visit The Water Development Division’s website and scroll to the State Revolving Fund Priority List. Click the link to open the form.
  • We recommend adding any projects you may wish to fund in the next five years, even if you do not plan to use the same funding source.
  • Each form is submitted to a different agency. Verify you are submitting to the correct agency, as listed on the last page of each form.
• Complete Water Plan Compliance Review: All water and sewer projects must complete the state-required water plan compliance review.
• Submit Final Application: ALL funding applications are submitted through EnABLE, the Natural Resources Division’s online loan management system.

How to apply for funding in EnABLE

• • Create an EnABLE Account: To submit a funding application, you must first have an EnABLE account. Many water and wastewater systems in Arkansas already have accounts from previous applications, but some may need to create or update their user accounts.
  • Start Your Application: Entities submit a general funding application rather than applying for a specific funding program/source. The funding source will be determined by Natural Resources Division staff during the underwriting process. You can begin and save your application anytime under the Application tab in EnABLE. However, the application will not be reviewed until all requested documents and information are submitted.
  • Follow Step-by-Step Instructions: Detailed instructions on how to submit your application are available on the Water and Wastewater Funding Applications webpage. This page includes all necessary links and contact information to help guide you through the process.
  • Complete Your Application: Each funding application will be reviewed for completeness. If any required information is missing, the application will be returned for correction and must be resubmitted.
  • Funding Application Deadlines: The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission sets funding application deadlines each year, typically during the November meeting. Applications must be submitted by the posted deadline to be considered.

 
Learn more and apply here. To contact the writer, email [email protected] or call 501-682-0547.