Mountain Pine, AR: Sewer Rehabilitation
October 2023 - Present
An overgrown and unmaintained manhole in Mountain Pine
Community Description
The City of Mountain Pine, AR has a current population of 587 and serves 337 connections on a gravity flow sewer system, with treatment at the Mountain Pine Wastewater Treatment Plant. Mountain Pine is located in Garland County and is approximately 50 miles southwest of Little Rock. The median household income is approximately $40,417, and nearly 23% of the population lives below the federal poverty line.
Project Scope
EPIC was connected with the City in 2023 as they were facing extensive challenges with sewer system infiltration and inflow (I&I). EPIC supported the City in procuring engineering services to result in a Sewer System Evaluation Study for the repair and rehabilitation of the sewer collection system. EPIC provided project management support and guidance in applying for project funding.
Background and Services Provided
In April 2018, the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality requested that the City of Mountain Pine submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to address violations of their NPDES permit. These violations included Discharge Monitoring Report violations and sanitary sewer overflows (SSO). The most recent CAP revision (RCAP) was issued in January 2024. The milestone tasks included smoke testing and TV inspection of sewer lines, submission of an I&I repair schedule, and completion of proposed repairs. During heavy precipitation events, the WWTP had unusually high flows, which were far greater than the peak hydraulic design flow.
In late 2024, EPIC contracted with Arkansas Rural Water Association (ARWA) for $34,880 to carry out smoke testing and televising of defects in the main gravity sewer line. EPIC then procured the services of engineering firm Crafton Tull for a total contract value of $62,000. Crafton Tull used the ARWA inspection data, along with real-time monitoring of sewer overflow events, to author an engineering report outlining a sewer system repair and replacement plan, including cost estimates for the proposed rehabilitation project.
Challenges and Opportunities
| Type of Challenge | Project Experience | Outcomes and/or Opportunities |
|---|---|---|
| Governance | The 2018 CAP included stipulations that a SSES be completed along with rehabilitation plans and estimated costs to address ongoing I&I. Due to limited enforcement and focus on other aspects of the CAP, minimal progress had been made towards addressing the I&I. | Within months of beginning work, EPIC facilitated procurement of the sewer system cleaning and televising services, followed by procurement of engineering services to carry out the SSES and I&I repair plan. |
| Labor/Workforce | City staff capacity is limited, with the Mayor and Clerk shouldering much of the burden of pursuing and planning infrastructure improvement projects. The long-time utility operator, who was highly skilled, recently left for a new job opportunity. | EPIC provided consulting time at no cost to the City, allowing for management of the consultants and contractors, and the completion of funding applications. This support also allowed the City to continue making progress during the transition to a new operator. |
| Financial | City staff felt unprepared to pursue and take on the large amount of federal debt that would be required to fund their project. | EPIC is providing ongoing project management and financial analysis to ensure the City feels prepared in finalizing project funding. |
Project Next Steps
In September 2025, using the deliverables provided by MCE, EPIC staff supported the City in applying for state and federal project funding. The City applied for a total of $7,393,400 in funding for the proposed project, which will include extensive repair and replacement of affected areas throughout the collection system. The multi-step application process included a pre-application, an application to be listed on the PPL, and the funding application to the state agency. EPIC staff will continue to support the City in additional steps required to finalize access to funding, including environmental review and financial preparation.
System rehabilitation will extend the functional life of the collection system, and nearby surface water quality at the effluent discharge location may be improved by reducing instances of SSOs in the system. Investing in corrective and preventative measures will forestall the need for a much larger and potentially unplanned investment to address repercussions of deferred maintenance.