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Fort Smith engineers warn of looming water supply limits; board weighs leak detection, meter replacement and phased transmission upgrades
Summary
City engineers told the board the water system faces capacity and reliability risks: nonrevenue/unaccounted-for water rose to about 36% in 2025, transmission and treatment upgrades could cost in the hundreds of millions, and staff recommended satellite/drone leak detection and phased meter replacements as lower-cost ways to buy time.
City engineers and consultants presented Fort Smith—s water system master plan and a set of options to address capacity, leaks and aging infrastructure at the Feb. 10 study session, warning that the system could reach its treatment/transmission limits within years unless the board acts.
Todd Mitke, the director of engineering, summarized the system: roughly 719 miles of pipe, two treatment plants (Lake Fort Smith plant ~40 million gallons per day capacity; Lee Creek ~10 million), 13 storage tanks, and a five-phase transmission-line improvement with a remaining project scope of about 35 miles. He said the 2022 master plan projects maximum daily demand could exceed current combined treatment/transmission capacity in the late 2020s without upgrades.
Mitke and Hawkins Weir consultant Wes presented demand projections and hydraulic…
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