MAUMELLE -
Land owners on Lake Maumelle claim best management practices aren't being used by Central Arkansas Water in construction of a water tower and pump stations.
It's the section of the lake that under Chapter 8 is protected so that it's solely used for drinking water.
Residents went before county leaders in a number of meetings Tuesday, wanting answers to why they are held to such high standards, but why CAW is able to do things a little more freely.
One land owner, Lori White, said she took special notice to construction going on around the regulated body of water. A few things not seeming ordinary, so she decided to do some digging of her own.
"So I did a Freedom of Information Act Request and got the information to verify that they (CAW) had actually been cited by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality with at least seven violations just on the pump site station alone," White told us.
We decided to check out the area, and the scene around an area designed to provide purer water for residents looked more like a dump site.
"Basically on the water tower site is the most evident site there is a lot of trash, and a lot of debris," White added. "There are empty fuel cans, empty oil bottles just basic trash like old ice chests.
The Pulaski County Quorum Court saw fit to make the issue a last minute addition to its agenda on Tuesday.
Many members voicing concerns, some wanting to know more, while Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines gave his opinion before the crowded room.
"Like it or not private and public companies, or contractors, sometimes don't do diligence in some of the things, like silt screens like they're supposed to," Villines said.
"That apparently happened here. It shouldn't have but it did, and I bet you it won't happen again."
A subject brought to light, but an answer that doesn't make White too pleased.
"They are the entity that is the top entity as far as protecting the water out there in the water shed," she said about CAW.
"They are the ones that impressed upon the county to implement the Chapter 8 in the SET (Site Evaluation Tool), but yet they're not even adhering to those rules."
There was only one representative from CAW at the quorum court and he declined comment on the matter.
Now, it will be up to the company to comply with standards set after the court shrugged off first sight of the issue Tuesday.
