Quorum Court questions Central Arkansas Water violations

Tuesday night, a Bigelow woman accused Central Arkansas Water of violating state and county environmental rules while building a new water tower and pumping site near Lake Maumelle.

Lake Maumelle provides drinking water to 400-thousand central Arkansans.

Tuesday, the full Pulaski County Quorum Court saw the evidence she collected for the first time.

Two big books document violations Lorie White says CAW made while building a new water tower and pumping site. She also took pictures, and says they show CAW is not protecting your drinking water.

“The debris and the trash around the water tower site itself is very disturbing,” says White.

White also has documents from the state proving violations happened.

Who is in charge of making sure our drinking water is safe? CAW. The same group White says is pushing for tighter rules for landowners when it comes to what she can do on her property.

“They have told us that that was what the zoning ordinance was for. Protecting the water. In all reality, they themselves are not protecting the water,” she says.

White’s Quorum Court rep presented her pictures Tuesday, and, when JP Phil Stowers used an analogy, he got a reaction from Judge Buddy Villines.

"The preacher that is preaching against adultery and thievery and sleeping with the church secretary and robbing the church blind,” says Stowers.

“I think you’ve been for very obvious reasons been superfluous and overblown,” said Villines.

CAW's rep did not show up. Villines says he thinks CAW learned from the mistakes and the violations are now fixed.

At least one Quorum Court member plans on asking for an investigation into CAW's actions.