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Committee approves 10-cent hike to state's safe drinking-water fee to cover testing
Summary
The committee approved HB1737 to raise the per-bill safe drinking-water assessment from $0.30 to $0.40 to fund increased federal testing, lab analysis and reporting duties carried out by the Arkansas Department of Health.
Representative Wallace and Jeff Stone of the Arkansas Department of Health presented HB1737, which increases the monthly safe-drinking-water fee charged on utility bills from $0.30 to $0.40. Stone said the additional dime is needed to cover expanded federal requirements, increased testing and reporting, and public-notice responsibilities performed by the department; he said Arkansas spends roughly $3.4 million annually on safe-water activities and maintains high compliance rates.
Committee members asked whether the fee would go to infrastructure; Stone and the department representative clarified the funds support drinking-water program activities (sampling, analysis at the public-health lab, EPA reporting and public notices) and cannot be used for general infrastructure projects.
With no public opposition signed up, the committee voted to pass HB1737. The bill as approved by committee directs the added revenue to the health department's drinking-water activities and the department said the funds can be used only for those statutorily specified program tasks.
