Etowah Completes Wastewater Improvements for Residents

The Town of Etowah, located in Mississippi County just 12 miles west of Osceola along Highway 140 and 77, recently completed improvements to the wastewater system to benefit current and potential residents, as well as local offices.  The completed project provides decent, safe, and sanitary wastewater facilities for new users and improved service for the existing users.

Etowah originally constructed a wastewater system in 2004 to serve the Town.  After the construction was completed, other areas wanted to be added to the system, as existing septic tanks in the area have a high failure rate.   The previous system, consisting of a combination of gravity and small diameter collection lines with some individual pump/grinder stations, served around 143 users.  The improvement proposal was to extend the wastewater service to serve an additional 26 users including the Little River Water office that is on State Highway 77 and to make upgrades to some existing pump stations and the wastewater treatment plant.  A combination of grant funds and loans were used to complete these much-needed extensions, which consisted of two new wastewater pump stations, gravity sewer lines and force mains, as well as making pump station and wastewater plant improvements for the existing system.

Construction of the waste water line extensions and improvements were completed in early February, 2015.  Twenty-four new residences, a farm shop, and the Little River Water Association Water Office have been afforded access to a safe and sanitary wastewater collection and treatment system, as well as improvements being made to the existing collection and wastewater treatment facility. Twenty-three of the twenty-four new residential users received free hook ups from the CDBG funds due to their Low to Moderate Household Income.

Etowah Mayor Charles Bo McCollum hopes that the improvements will help the Town appeal to incoming industrial workers as an option for living within a rural setting to settle if they so choose. He is happy with the results of the project, further stating, "the Town of Etowah is most blessed to be in Mississippi County.  This new addition to our waster water system is beneficial to the citizens of Etowah and the outlying area to the south of the city limits on State Highway 77.  Houses along the South State Hwy 77 now have the convenience of having wastewater treatment rather than septic tanks.  This also includes the Towns fresh water source Little River Water."

This project was made possible by the USDA Arkansas Rural Development, who provided $148,000 in Water/Environmental Program (WEP) loan funds and $192,000 in WEP grant funds, along with leveraged funds from HUD’s Community Development Block Grant funds administered by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission in the amount of $403,850.

The Town of Etowah is a proud member of the Osceola/South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce.

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