FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Fort Smith’s water system may need up to $585 million in upgrades to keep pace with rising demand, according to a report presented to the city’s Board of Directors on Aug. 26.

Utilities Director Lance McAvoy outlined progress on the city’s 48-inch transmission line from Lake Fort Smith to Fort Smith and the accompanying need to expand the Lake Fort Smith Water Treatment Plant. Both projects, he said, are critical to ensuring reliable water service for decades to come.

The 48-inch line will span 33.56 miles from Mountainburg to Fort Smith and is being built in five phases. When complete, it will deliver 67% of the water from Lake Fort Smith into the city and provide redundancy to two older lines built in the 1950s and 1960s that are already at maximum capaci

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